Awaiting Gosei's Return
by Darien Fawkes
Summary: With all the Ranger Keys now in their possession, the end of the war is one step closer. But until Gosei returns with details of his mysterious ritual, the Rangers still have enemies on all sides to deal with.
1. Chapter 1

**Legal:** I do not own Power Rangers, or the associated names, characters, places, events etc. Anything not covered by the above rights should be considered purely the creation of the author.

**Rating:** T – there will be some mild adult themes and language.

**A/N:** I think by now it's pretty obvious that this story is COMPLETELY A/U...but I really am planning to have more than a little fun with the episode "The Grass is always Greener...or Bluer". Hope you enjoy it!

On the Red Galleon, the Rangers were biding their time. Another way of putting it was...they were bored. As a result of their most recent adventure, their long search for the Ranger keys was now over. Kira had given them the Dino Thunder Keys, meaning that they now had all the keys for every Ranger team in existence. It had been so long since their journey had begun, that at times it seemed impossible. All they had been told by Gosei was that while he prepared some kind of ritual that they had to gather the keys. However, the one part of the plan he hadn't told them was what exactly they were to do once they had them. Their focus had been on getting the keys for so long, that they had almost come to believe that once they had them, it was all over.

Thinking about it now though, they could understand that was more than a little optimistic. Prince Vekar was still in his ship, looming over the Earth. He had more ships at his disposal; he just needed to wait on them arriving. Vrak was still in hiding somewhere, and after his attack on Jordan, they knew that he had the Robo Knight at his disposal. The fact they hadn't seen him since wasn't exactly comforting. It wasn't as if they could even be sure if that meant he hadn't figured out how to use the Robo Knight, or if he just hadn't thought it an opportune time to use him.

The situation wasn't helped any by the fact that now they didn't have the Ranger Keys to look for, really the only thing to do was to fend off the Armada's forces until Gosei decided to show up and tell them what he expected them to do.

Noah was at his work bench, working on his double key blaster, while Jake was at a table with the treasure chest that contained the Ranger Keys. He had set them all up, forming them into their respective teams, smiling as he finished placing the last one, his own Megaforce key. Gia came over with a large coffee, sitting down and sighed.

"What are you doing?" She asked him.

"I'm counting them." He told her matter-of-factly. Gia just groaned.

"There are 114!" Gia said in an exasperated tone. "There were 114 before, there were 114 the last time you counted, there are 114 now! So why are you counting them?"

"Because I like to." Jake said with a smile. "Wow...114 Rangers! All those powers, all those people that came before us...it's like we're part of some huge army!"

"It's a pretty amazing legacy when you think about it." Noah agreed, looking up from his work. "Hey, Tensou, can you hand me that soldering iron?"

Tensou flew over, placing the tool down where Noah could take it. He worked on one of the joins, and smiled as he saw the fruits of his labour.

"Hey Jordan...come and check this out, I'd like a second opinion on this." He told him. "I'd really like to be sure this thing isn't going to take my hand off when I test it."

"Sure thing." Jordan replied, taking a look over it. He smiled. "Hey, this is pretty good work Noah. I'd say it's almost ready for a test run."

Just then, there was an alarm. The Rangers all looked to the door as Emma and Orion, who had been put on shift to monitor the scanners, came running in.

"Guys, there's a lot of Armada movement. A large force has just landed." She told them.

"Where?" Jordan asked. Emma just looked to them.

"Uh...they're in Washinton DC." She told them. "It looks like they're heading for Pennsylvania Avenue."

"The White House?" Jake asked. "I thought they had abandoned the idea of keeping someone stationed there!"

"Well, whatever they're up to, we can't just let then run around one of the biggest tourist traps in the country unchecked." Gia stated. "Besides, one of our old comrades lives there remember?" Jordan, set a course for Washington. Noah...is that thing ready?"

"I really wouldn't feel comfortable using it in battle until after we've tested it." He told her. "You know...after the last time."

"Alright, well I guess we do have these." Gia responded as they started shovelling the Ranger Keys back into the treasure chest where they could be accessed from their belts. "Come on guys; let's show these guys what happens when you mess with one of our own."

Over in Washington DC, President Taylor was in his office, preparing some documents for his meeting. It had been almost a year since the Rangers had repelled the occupying force from the White House, and he hadn't been resting on his laurels with his newfound freedom. Between connecting with the Ranger Underground to co-ordinate efforts to help out the Corsair Rangers where they could on the sly, and his work as President, he had been kept very busy indeed. Right now, he was about to head to a secret summit held in a secure location within the city to meet with other world leaders and discuss the Ranger issue. The Rangers had already made a huge impact on The Armada, and there were now more and more people who were starting to believe that they really could win! Other world leaders were now contacting him, offering support and asking what they could contribute. It was a risky time, but a hopeful one at the same time.

"Your limo is out front." Jason told him as he arrived. Jason was not only a Secret Service agent, attached to Zack's security detail, as a result of their shared history as the original Power Rangers, he was also the one that Zack trusted the most in the world with his plans and his safety. He straightened out his tie as he picked up the folder.

"The location?" Zack asked him.

"It's secure, and known only to people I've personally vetted." Jason assured him. "The other world leaders are being sent details at the last second to ensure there's no chance of any leaks."

"Good, that's good." Zack responded. "Angela and the kids...?"

"Air Force 2 is taking them to Camp David as we speak." He assured him. "Trust me, we've got this covered."

"Great, how do I look?" Zack asked him. Jason just smiled.

"You look like the leader of the free world." He told him. "Come on, we should be going."

They headed outside, to where the limo was waiting with a motorcade, carrying his guard contingent. Zack offered a few greetings as he made his way to the car, where Jason opened the door for him. He was about to get in, when he heard some screams from the street.

Jason and Zack both looked out onto the street, seeing a huge squadron of X-borgs and Bruisers coming their way. Citizens had seen them and were running away in a panic. They could only watch as with dismissive ease, the Bruisers came to the fence, and started tearing it apart, ripping it out of the concrete fixtures and tossing it aside.

"I'm guessing they don't come in peace." Zack said as he looked to Jason. "Come on, we need to get out of here!"

"Get the Commander in Chief to the car!" Jason rushed out as the robots started to rush towards them. Although he knew that Zack wasn't exactly helpless, it was a pretty safe bet that he was the one they were after. Right now, Zack was their priority. He rushed to the attack, throwing himself into the robotic army with the skills that had served him well back in the day. Zack reluctantly got into the car, accompanied by a couple of guards and the driver, and they started to pull away. The car screeched to a halt though, and the driver was startled as the latest Commander, Transfercer launched himself onto the car, landing upside down on the windscreen. He stared in at them.

"You're about to have an out-of-body experience!" He cackled. "You, open this thing up!"

A Bruiser used its claws to tear into the limo, which despite being made with several inches of armour, was peeled apart like it was made of tinfoil. They were about to reach inside for Zack, when they were struck from behind by energy blasts. The Rangers descended from the Red Galleon, landing a little way from them.

"Leave those people alone!" Emma warned them.

"Sorry it took us so long Mr President." Jake added as the Rangers all joined the attack. Transfercer saw the tide turning, but realised that he still had to complete his main objective. He had been given a task specifically by Prince Vekar, and he knew that he was not a man to displease.

A the Rangers fought with the rest of his contingent, one of the bruisers got a hold of Zack. Transfercer just smiled...well...Zack assumed he was smiling, but with his twisted, upside down face, it was hard to tell.

"Now to switch your mind with this Bruiser's." He cackled. "Then we can infiltrate your Government!"

Zack struggled against the Bruiser's grip. The machine was simply too strong, especially without his old Ranger powers. He didn't have a hope of breaking loose. He watched as Transferser started to twist his hands together, powering up his attack.

"Oh no you don't!" Jordan called out, as he and Orion leapt into the fray just in time, cutting him down before his attack could power up properly. They smashed the Bruiser into oblivion, allowing Zack to be released.

"Here!" Orion said, helping Jason get up from the ground, where he had been blasted by one of their attacks. He could see that he was hurt, but he imagined it wasn't enough to stop a determined former Ranger. He handed Zack to him. "You need to get him out of here! He's too important to risk!"

"I'm on it!" Jason told him, taking Zack with the remaining Secret Service agents, piling into the one remaining vehicle that was still running. As he watched them leave, Transfercer looked to his bodyguard, realising that they were falling quickly, and that soon he was going to be on his own. He had missed his opportunity. He just turned to the Rangers, growling in frustration. He didn't get much of a chance to worry about it though, as Jake and Gia were quickly on top of him, hacking away wildly.

"Jake, come on, together!" Gia called out.

"Anything you say Captain!" He answered as they kicked him away. Transfercer staggered away a little, struggling to maintain his balance. As they attacked again, he managed to grab Jake, holding him in front of himself as a shield, while Gia tumbled away after a hard kick.

"Go ahead! Blast your friend!" He taunted her. Gia levelled the blaster his way, but just smiled. "Well...what are you waiting for?"

Just then, he felt a harsh blow on the back of the knees as both Emma and Noah ran at him from behind, slicing into him with their sabres. Jordan was the next, striking him across the back of the head with his sabre, before Orion smashed him into the ground with his Silver Spear. The Rangers all assembled before him.

"And that's the benefit of teamwork." Gia told them. Transfercer could see that the odds were against him and started to twist up his hands, powering up his attack.

"I wanted to swap the President...but if I can't get him...I guess I'll just get you instead!"

"He's going for an attack!" Gia called out. "Everyone down!"

She was too slow to respond herself though. As everyone else dove for cover, she and Jake were hit square on. Lightning sparks flew from his hand, bathing them in a bright glow. After a moment, they both fell to the ground.

"Gia!" Emma called out. "Jake!"

"Time for one more trick!" He cackled as he saw Emma and Noah standing over their fallen friends. He hit them with another of his attacks, sending them to the ground as well. He was only stopped as Orion and Jordan powered up their weapons.

"Silver Spear Blaster!" Orion called out, turning his key in the lock.

"Final Strike!" Jordan added, putting his key in his blaster. Transfercer could see that it was time to go. He had already done what he had intended, and he knew that no good would come from being destroyed now. His spell would simply be reversed before the Rangers could feel the benefits of the chaos he had caused.

"Time to go!" He called out, jumping into a portal. As he disappeared, Jordan and Orion just put away their weapons.

"Damn it, he got away!" Orion exclaimed.

"Well, we got the President to safety, that's the main thing." Jordan told him. He approached their friends. "Gia, are you alright?"

"Yeah, I'm fine." Another voice answered. They both looked across, seeing it was Jake that had answered him. "I just feel...really weird."

"Uh...Jake?" Jordan asked.

"What?" Another voice answered. They looked around to see Gia sitting up, pulling herself up off the ground. Orion just looked to Jordan.

"Guys, can someone help me?" Noah asked. I think that monster must have hit me pretty hard, my vision's all screwy."

"He just knocked your glasses off." Jordan told him, looking around and finding them. He picked them up, handing them to him. "Here."

"What are you talking about? I don't wear glasses." Noah responded. Just then, they heard a scream from a little way off.

"If I had just finished that double-key blaster..." Emma's words tailed off. There was something very odd, for a start, she wasn't wearing glasses, but her eyesight was perfect. What was more, the hand rubbing her eyes...it wasn't hers. It wasn't the right colour, and was very different...and had brightly coloured beaded bracelets...looking down, she saw that it wasn't her body! They all turned to see Emma screaming, staring at her hands, and starting to run her hands over her face and body.

"What...Oh God, what just happened? What's going on?" She babbled out.

"Emma, are you OK?" Orion asked. "Are you hurt?"

"Uh...this sounds crazy...I'm not Emma!" She said. Just then, as they finally got up, looking at each other, they all started screaming. Orion just looked to Jordan.

"Uh...what's going on?" He asked. Jordan thought back, remembering something Transfercer said.

"Wait...he said he wanted to switch the President...what if he meant switch someone else's mind into his body?" Jordan asked.

"This...this can't be happening." Jake said, reaching out to Gia, running his hands over her shoulders. "This is too freaky, you...you're me!"

"They switched bodies?" Orion asked. Jordan just sighed.

"OK, this can't be good." Jordan grumbled. "Let's get them back to the ship. We can figure out what to do there."


	2. Body Horrors

**A/N: **Due to the confusing nature of the body-switching storyline without pictures, I've tried to simplify it. After the passage marked *, the comment being a real comment I'm sure some readers will have, all character names relate to who is IN the body! I've also tried to avoid pronouns and use the character names (believe me, it's as weird writing it as it is reading it I assure you!)

Just as a reminder...

Noah has been switched into Emma's body.

Emma has been switched into Noah's body.

Gia has been switched into Jake's body.

Finally, Jake has been switched into Gia's body.

Hopefully that helps make things a little clearer when reading it, and as always, hope you all enjoy it.

Jordan was on the computer, connecting to the Ranger Underground for an update of the aftermath of the attack on the White House. Now that they knew what Tranfercer could do, it didn't take much for them to figure out what he was trying to do. He had been trying to switch a monster into Zack's place. They didn't want to even imagine what kind of havoc The Armada could wreak if they had replaced world leaders with their own puppets. Peace treaties could be scrapped, laws could be changed...it didn't bear thinking about.

"So there was a secret summit in the city?" Jordan asked. He didn't find this a particular surprise. One of the benefits of growing up in General Edwards home, a man with fierce political aspirations, he was surprisingly knowledgeable about the inner workings of the Government. Despite popular opinion, world leaders actually met a lot more often than people thought, but for security reasons the vast majority of these meetings took place behind closed doors and in secret locations known only to a few. It was especially uncomfortable if tensions between the countries involved were high, or any meetings could be seen as controversial.

"That's the case." The screen replied. Although most of them knew who the Rangers most active in the Underground were, it was still considered safest if they didn't appear on screen or use real names or voices. The screen itself was just a Ranger Symbol, in this case the Mighty Morphin' emblem, and a line underneath that moved with the sound of the voice. "After the attack, all the leaders have been moved to secure locations. Only people we trust implicitly know where."

"And the President?" He asked.

"He was pretty mad he couldn't help out to be honest." The voice on the other end replied. Jordan just smiled. He knew that Zack had been one of the original Rangers. He knew how frustrating it was to be on the sidelines, given his time trapped in the Library.

"How about your team?" The voice asked. "How are they?"

"Uh...sorry, you're breaking up." He responded, fiddling with some controls, affecting the signal. I'm...I...you're..."

As he cut off the signal, he just sighed and looked to the others, who were all sitting in the examination room, while Tensou checked them over. Although they already knew they had switched minds, he wanted to be sure there weren't any other negative effects of the attack. Jordan hated lying to a former Ranger, but seeing the team in a state of confusion before him, he couldn't help thinking that right now, when the Underground was already tense given the apparent interest Vekar was showing in the World Leaders, now wasn't the best time to tell them what had happened. People were nervous enough without knowing about...this!

Noah was sitting, taking his glasses on and off, and squinting whenever he did so. Emma just sighed and looked to him.

"Would you quit that?" She asked.

"I know you always wore glasses, but I never knew how bad your eyesight really was." He commented. Jordan had to remind himself that although the body was Noah, it was really Emma inside. She was used to having 20/20 vision. Indeed, her love of photography was largely down to her keen attention to detail and seeing even the smallest sign of beauty in the world. It was more than a little strange to her to have that taken away. "How do you work on all those tiny circuits?"

"You get used to the glasses." Emma replied, shifting a little in her seat. "What I don't get is how you get used to all this hair! I can't stop it getting in my eyes!"

"Well maybe if you stopped slouching!" Noah reprimanded her. Jordan just shook his head.

"OK, this is just too weird." He remarked. He looked to the others, who were all rather uncomfortable in the whole situation. "OK, can we all agree on one rule? No...Weird touching."

"Agreed!" Emma, Noah and Gia replied. Jake...well...Jake's body just looked a little awkward. Jordan just groaned. "What?"

"Uh...that might not be much of an option." He responded. "I...uh...I have to go."

"Oh, you've got to be kidding me!" Gia's body...really Jake replied. "Jordan..."

"Hey, it's not my fault!" Gia replied, holding up her hands defensively. "I'm not the one who pounded five sodas before the battle!"

"OK...so there are certain...functions you're all still going to have to perform." He said, conceding this point. Thinking about it, he had no idea how long they would be stuck like this. He was sure they were all going to have to go to the bathroom at some point, and they would possibly have to spend a few days like that...basic personal hygiene would be an issue. He really didn't envy them having to face the prospect of showering. "Can we all agree to just try and be adult about this?"

"And..respect the fact we're in each other's bodies?" Noah, in Emma's body asked, holding the glasses and pressing them back to Emma...in his body's face.

"Oh man, I really have to go!" Gia, in Jake's body replied, rushing out of the room. Orion was coming in at that point, and was almost bowled over as she left. He just looked to the room.

"Bathroom?" He asked.

"Bathroom!" They all replied in unison. He set down a roll of sticky labels he had found in the cupboards and some marker pens.

"OK, so I found them." He responded. "So what are these for?"

*"I think it's fair to say that this is going to get confusing!" Jordan responded, writing out some labels. "So, for now, everyone wear one of these, and for God's sake, answer only to your names! If I ask for Emma, I mean you!" He pointed at Noah's body. "Agreed?"

"Alright, that isn't a bad idea." Emma replied.

"And maybe we should get into something that's a little more comfortable." Noah suggested, looking down at what he was wearing. "I mean, within reason right, but if we're going to be like this for a while..."

"I think that would be for the best." Jake agreed, taking his name label.

"I guess if I'm going to be soldering, it would be a good idea to wear long sleeves, and trousers." Noah replied, getting up. "And I should really do something about this hair!"

"Hey!" Emma shrieked.

"I meant like tie it back or something!" Noah assured her. "Don't worry; I'm not going near scissors!"

"You sure as hell aren't!" Emma stated. "Otherwise this 'Fro is going by bye!"

"OK, this is going to get really weird isn't it?" Orion asked. Jordan just sighed.

"Oh yeah." He replied. "Come on, let's get back to the scanners and see if that monster shows up anywhere. The sooner we deal with him, the better."

Up on The Armada Command Ship, Prince Vekar was on the bridge, having finally gotten well enough to be around the rest of his cabinet. Lavira was by his side, looking overjoyed to have the Prince back in his place of power. Damaras seemed somewhat less thrilled about that. Now that Lavira and the Prince were...involved, he was keenly aware of how much stronger her position was with him. He had been plotting with Vrak to overthrow Vekar, believing that the Prince was unfit to take the reins of the Empire. Lavira gave him a knowing smirk, reminding him of his place now. Were she to ask it of her 'sweetums', she was sure he would have Damaras making no decisions any more important than when to replace the urinal cakes.

Transfercer was standing before them, relaying the details of the battle. He was very animated and excited, telling them with great passion about every blow and every attack. Prince Vekar listened to the story, looking more than a little unimpressed.

"The President slipped away in the confusion, but I did switch four of the Rangers!" He concluded his story. He looked to the Prince, awaiting his response. Prince Vekar just looked to Lavira, then back to him.

"So you're telling me you got a whole squadron of Bruisers and X-borgs destroyed, you failed in the one thing I asked you to do, and you're proud of it?" He demanded.

"No, your highness!" He protested. "Well...um...yes, but..."

"Calling you an imbecile would be an insult to imbeciles!" He yelled at him. "I should destroy you right now, but I wouldn't want to sully my hands with such a task! Damaras, dispose of him!"

"No, no!" Transfercer squealed. Damaras was about to grab him, but Lavira just held up a hand.

"Your Highness, perhaps this plan still has some merit." She suggested. "Transfercer can always try again at another date."

"But he failed miserably!" The Prince stated.

"True, but he DID switch the Rangers." She reminded him. "Imagine the confusion that will cause them in battle."

He just looked to her as she explained.

"Imagine if you were to switch bodies with say...Damaras here." She suggested. "You would have to get used to different powers, different levels of strength...in battle none of what you know about yourself and your limits and strengths would be true."

"Hm..." He said thoughtfully, stroking his chin. She leaned in closer.

"If you destroy Transfercer, then his spell will end and they all go back to their own bodies." She reminded him. "Why not let this play out for now. Perhaps...perhaps send in another, stronger Commander in the meantime, one that will test their limits at a time when even they don't know their limits."

"Lavira my love, you are as brilliant as you are beautiful." Prince Vekar responded, kissing her hand softly. Damaras just groaned seeing this. Lavira was the only one Vekar ever gave credit for her own schemes these days. "Is Argus ready?"

"He will require a little more time in repairs." She answered. "But I'm sure Damaras can find someone."

"Yes, of course, he's good at all that boring administrative stuff." He said, waving Damaras off. "Transfercer, go...somewhere out of the way until I call you again. Damaras...find someone strong to send against the Rangers."

"I will do as you ask." He replied gruffly, turning and leaving the room. The Prince just looked to Lavira and smiled.

"I can't wait to make you my queen and have you rule at my side." He told her. "You are the perfect woman for me."

Back on the Red Galleon, Jake was playing keepie-up, wearing blue jeans and a Harwood Hoodie top that he had found to make himself a little more comfortable. He had the name-tag on to make sure no one was confused who he was. He groaned as he lost control of the ball and it bounced across the work bench, nearly knocking over the double-key blaster Noah was working on.

Noah too had found something a little closer to what he was used to wearing, and had tied back his hair. He just looked up to Jake, removing the safety goggles he now had to wear since he didn't have to wear his glasses. He tied back the long hair, keeping it out of his face.

"Would you knock it off?" Noah asked. "I keep telling you how dangerous this is!"

"I'm sorry, I just...I can't get why I can't do this." Jake responded.

"Because you're in a different body!" Noah explained. "You have your own mind, but you have to get used to new muscle responses. Gia has different...physical limits and strengths than you do.

"Well you seem to be coping alright." Jake replied. Noah just smiled.

"I have to admit, Emma having smaller hands is kind of an advantage." He admitted. "I'm a little surprised how dexterous her fingers are...I guess I never thought about all the detail that goes into her artwork and her photo editing."

"Alright Noah, is this acceptable?" Emma asked, coming out of her room. She had changed into something that made her a little more comfortable, but even though he wasn't the most masculine guy; even Noah drew the line at pink jeans. He just nodded.

"Thanks, I really appreciate that." He told her.

"This is getting too weird." Orion remarked. Jordan just nodded, but jerked his head up when he saw Gia.

"It's about to get weirder." Jordan answered. Gia came in, putting away a mop and bucket in the cleaning cupboard.

"OK, that was not pleasant." Gia complained with a shudder, looking to the guys. "Seriously, how do you aim?"

"It's not as easy as it sounds is it?" Jordan said with a little chuckle. "What can I say? It takes practice."

"Well some of you could practice more!" Emma replied.

"And that still doesn't stop you cleaning up your misfires!" Gia added as she and Emma high-fived. Emma then looked to her hand, and back at Gia. "Don't worry, I washed up after."

"So...are you getting close?" Jordan asked Noah, trying to change the subject.

"According to these calculations." Noah answered, putting his safety glasses back in place to protect Emma's eyes. "I just need to clean this up a little and...OK, I think this is ready to test out!"

He picked up the blaster and looked to the others.

"OK, now all we need is somewhere to test it." Noah replied. The others followed him as they went to find somewhere safe to give the new blaster a test run.

A little while later, they found an old mine a few miles from the city. They needed somewhere they wouldn't be disturbed during the test of the new blaster, and more importantly, where they were unlikely to cause any unintended destruction.

"Alright, to be on the safe side, we should all morph." Noah told them. They all pulled out their morphers and keys, morphing into their Ranger forms.

"Alright Noah, let's pick a target." Jordan stated.

"How about that rock?" Noah suggested. Everyone looked around as the Pink Ranger answered. It was at that point, they all realised a mistake. They had all used the key they carried around, their own Corsair Keys. Orion just sighed.

"Now...this just got really strange." Orion stated. Jake just started laughing.

"Dude, you're pink!" Jake giggled.

"Yeah, well...remember Terry was a guy and he was the Pink Ranger." Noah reminded him. "And he kicked your butt remember?"

"And you complained about pink jeans?" Emma stated, putting her hands on her hips. Noah just gulped.

"Only on me...my body doesn't suit pink!" Noah told her. "Uh...how about we give this blaster a try?"

He went to his belt buckle, summoning up two keys. He held up two Pink Keys.

"I guess since I'm using Emma's powers, it's best to use the ones closest to her Corsair powers to be on the safe side." Noah explained. "There's no need to take any more chances than we need to. Two keys, double the power!"

Noah levelled the blaster towards the rock as the others made their way behind him. He got into a solid firing position, bracing the weapon with both hands.

"Alright, here goes nothing!" Noah replied, summoning up all his strength. He fired off the shot, which blazed through the air, hitting the rock and shattering it into millions of tiny stone chips. He smiled with satisfaction, pointing the weapon in the air, into a safe direction.

"Perfect!" Noah exclaimed proudly as the others came to his side.

"Wow Noah, that was amazing!" Gia complimented him. "That thing sure packs a punch!"

"Believe me; I would not want to be on the other end of this thing!" Noah agreed. "When that Transfercer guy comes back, with this thing, he won't know what hit him!"

"And we can all finally get back to our own bodies!" Gia added.

"OK, so until we get another crack at The Armada, we should probably get some rest in." Jordan suggested. "I say we get back to the ship for some food, and then call it a day."

"Man, I so can't wait to get a double cheese jalapeno burger with cheesy chilli fries!" Jake stated. Gia just glared at him.

"HEY!" She screamed. "You know I hate spicy food, it plays havoc with my stomach! That's not your body remember?"

"But it's so good!" Jake protested. Gia just glared at him.

"Do that, and I swear before we switch back, I'll drink enough prune juice to keep you on the can for a month!" Gia warned him. Jake just sighed.

"OK, no spicy food." Jake agreed as they left, heading back for the ship.


	3. Battle of the Bodies

Just as a reminder, all character names relate to who is IN the body! I've also tried to avoid pronouns and use the character names (believe me, it's as weird writing it as it is reading it I assure you!)

Noah has been switched into Emma's body.

Emma has been switched into Noah's body.

Gia has been switched into Jake's body.

Finally, Jake has been switched into Gia's body. Hope that helps.

Up on The Armada Command Ship, Damaras was on the ship, looking for Transfercer. Although he was meant to be looking for a new Commander to send after the Rangers, he had a few other things he wanted to deal with first.

His position on the ship now looked shakier than ever. With Lavira in the Prince's affections, her honeyed words finding his ear and blocking out any contrary voice, he knew that his agenda to see Vrak installed in Vekar's place was now riskier than ever. She delighted in tormenting him now. The only reason he was still the Tactical Officer was because she hadn't seen fit to suggest to the Prince he be demoted, or worse...court marshalled for his continued failures in his role! Although Vrak assured him that his plans were progressing, the lack of any visible activity left him worrying how long it would be before Lavira suggested to the Prince to replace him with someone more loyal to herself.

He found Transfercer in the Mess, where a large number of Commanders were waiting for their call to action, wiling away their time drinking, feasting and gambling. Damaras ducked a power blast that sailed a little past his head casually, making his way to Transfercer's table. He didn't think anything about the power blasts rebounding around the room. Sometimes, after a few drinks, the rough housing and boastful story-telling could get more than a little enthusiastic...the less said how the gambling games could get out of hand the better.

"I see you're using your time productively." He teased Transfercer. The creature just looked to him as he took a long swig of his drink.

"The Prince told me to wait for further orders." Transfercer grumbled. "Until Intel find out where the world leaders are, I'm to remain on the ship where it's safe."

They both leaned back as another power blast flew between them, smashing empty bottles and scattering empty plates and condiments. Damaras just sighed.

"Good choice." He said sarcastically. Transfercer just threw up his hands.

"So what else am I meant to do? Wait in my quarters?" Transfercer asked him. "I'll be bored out of my skull!"

"Well...how about I give you something to do to occupy your time?" Damaras asked him. Transfercer just looked to him as Damaras moved in closer. "I am sure you have noticed that Lavira exerts a lot of influence over the Prince these days."

"Uh...yes." He responded.

"Well...some of the upper Command are a little concerned about how that could affect his judgement." He continued. "The Prince is a passionate man. Sometimes, he lets his emotions affect his decisions."

"What are you asking me to do?" Transfercer asked him. He just smiled.

"I think perhaps you could use your unique talents to arrange a little...shift in their relationship?" He suggested. Transfercer backed away a little.

"But...but if he finds out...he'll destroy me!" Transfercer protested.

"But if he doesn't...then you will have done the Empire a great service." Damaras assured him. "If the Prince has his heart broken, he will never want to see her again! He'll send her to the other end of the galaxy! Of course he will be upset, but in time...he will regain his strength."

"I'm not sure..."

"If you do this, I can ensure your services are rewarded." Damaras interrupted him. "Perhaps I can see to it that you can command your own ship...perhaps even your own planet!"

Transfercer had to admit that this was a tempting offer, but he couldn't get over the risk involved. Damaras just leaned in closely.

"Switch her mind with someone completely loyal, that you can trust to follow any command, and ensure she is indisposed while your agent ensures the Prince never wants to be in the same star system as her again." He instructed the reluctant creature. "Contact me when you are done."

Transfercer got up, and left the table, making his way out of the room. Damaras picked up a drink, and started drinking, only for the tankard to be smashed out of his hand by a stray blast. He got up, turning towards the source of the blast, irate that someone would endanger him so recklessly.

"How DARE you?" He snapped. "I am the Chief Tactical..."

His words tailed off as he saw that no one was looking at him. They weren't even facing his direction. A huge crowd seemed to all be facing someone in the corner, whooping and chanting. The creature in the corner just laughed.

"Oh come on, you call that a blast?" He asked, laughing loudly as another monster took money from the creature whose hands were still smoking from firing the offending blast.

"I...I don't understand it, that attack has destroyed armoured transport vehicles!" The creature protested, handing over the money it had bet the boastful creature. Damaras watched on, seeing the wreckage around the other Commander. Clearly, he was taking bets, challenging others to try and attack him, proving how tough he was by withstanding them. By the looks of it, he was doing pretty well.

"I hope that isn't your best shot. Maybe the Prince will find a world full of babies for you to tickle to death!" The boastful Commander replied, taking another drink. "Alright weaklings, whose money am I going to take next?"

"How about mine?" Damaras asked. The monsters all fell silent and backed away, realising Damaras was there. They all separated, letting him step forward. "What is the stake?"

"Uh...a...a...a...hundred." The Commander responded nervously. He held up his arms, showing his forearms to be covered in large, curved, thick plates that seemed to interlock. "A hundred credits that no attack can penetrate my shield."

"One thousand." Damaras replied, putting his money down. The Commander readied himself, at which Damaras fired off his attack. As he locked his shield together, the blast hit, and splashed off it, bowling over unfortunate Commanders and wrecking furniture, but as the smoke cleared, his shield was intact. Damaras looked to him as he opened up his shield. "Impressive. What is your name?"

"Turtlelini." The Commander replied. Damaras approached him, taking the winnings from the other Commander and handing them to him.

"I have a little task for you." Damaras told him. "And it promises to be more profitable than taking the pocket change from your drinking buddies."

"What would I have to do?" Turtlini asked him.

Elsewhere on the ship though, Trancfercer was wandering the ship, the conversation with Damaras still echoing in his mind. He stopped to ponder the conversation. What was he to do? If he reported Damaras, would anyone believe him? He would be accusing a member of the Prince's War Cabinet of treason, with no evidence of the conversation! If he simply ignored the conversation...would Damaras go after him? He knew for a fact if he tried the plan and failed, he would be destroyed for sure. He wandered off through the corridors, hoping that the answer would come to him.

As he continued on his way, he passed by Lavira's lab, finding the door open, and seeing her working on Argus. He had been out of action since the Rangers attacked him in New York. Transfercer was about to leave when suddenly a thought occurred to him. The Science officer didn't even see him, she was too busy working away, humming contentedly as she did so. Waiting until Lavira's back was turned; he powered up and launched his attack.

Striking both Lavira and Argus, he switched their minds, switching them with his power. He went to Lavira's fallen form and helped her up.

"Argus, are you alright?" He asked.

"I am fine." Lavira's body responded. Transfercer smiled at his handiwork. It was a perfect plan. Argus' real body was shut down. Lavira was basically trapped inside, unable to move, communicate, or even see or hear anything. She would remember nothing of the attack once he switched them back. Argus meanwhile was easily the most loyal of all the Prince's underlings. He would obey any command given to him without question, and better still, once he was back in his own body, his memories could be altered to remove all trace of this mission. Transfercer turned him.

"Argus, we have a little job we need you to do." He told him, closing the door.

On the Red Galleon, the Rangers had assembled on the deck at Gia's request. They'd all had breakfast, and gotten dressed, ready for the day ahead. Noah watched as Emma did her yoga exercises, and shook his head.

"It is so weird seeing my body doing...that." Noah commented. Emma just smiled.

"No weirder than it was seeing my body making that blaster." Emma told him. "You know, your body's in pretty good shape, but it's not as flexible as I'm used to...perhaps you might want to consider some regular yoga." Noah was about to answer, but as he saw Jake arriving, he couldn't help himself and just started laughing.

"Jake...what did you do to yourself?" Emma giggled. He looked like he had tried and failed to remove a lot of make-up. A LOT! By the looks of the unnatural shade across his face, it looked like he had used a patching trowel to apply it, before realising it wasn't working and washing it off.

"You should have seen what it looked like when I woke up!" Jake protested. "It was all over the pillow and..."

"You didn't remove your make-up before you went to bed?" Emma chuckled.

"Dude, even I know you have to take off make-up before you go to sleep." Noah stated.

"Well I know that NOW!" Jake protested. "I tried to fix it, but I couldn't figure out how much of all that stuff to use and...then when I tried to wash it off...I end up looking like this!"

"I'll show you how to use make-up remover later." Emma promised him. "I think Gia would appreciate it if you didn't make her walk around looking like Krusty the clown!"

"A make-up malfunction is the least of my worries to be honest." Gia said as she came up on deck with Orion and Jordan. They saw she had a large band-aid on her forehead.

"What happed?" Jake asked her. Gia just sighed.

"We all slept in our own rooms to be comfortable right?" Gia reminded them. "Well, there's a shelf over my bed with some of my books on it and...well...Jake's taller than I am."

"You hit my head?" Jake asked her. Gia just sighed, before pointing to a crate.

"Jake, why don't you show us a Kong vault?" She asked him. Jake just smiled.

"With pleasure." He replied. As he ran at the crate, he put his hands on it, pushing off as he jumped...

However, as he did, he quickly fell into difficulty. He jumped a little too high, and his centre of balance was very different than he was used to. He ended up over-shooting the jump and coming down almost face-first to the deck. Fortunately, he tucked and ended up just landing on his shoulder and crumpling up into a heap on the deck. The others just stared.

"Jake!" Orion called out. "Are you alright?"

"I...I haven't bailed like that in years!" Jake commented as he clutched his shoulder, moving his arm to make sure it wasn't too badly damaged. He looked up to Gia. "What gives?"

"We're all in different bodies." She reminded them. Emma thought about it for a moment before looking to them.

"I had to adapt my yoga workout because...because I wasn't flexible enough..."

"Noah's body wasn't flexible enough." Gia corrected her. "Just like Jake couldn't get the balance right in my body on the vault, and I..."

"You can't wake up in bed without ruining my good looks." Jake muttered. Noah just looked to them.

"Wait, if we're having these kind of problems with benign tasks..."

"If one of Vrak or Vekar's goons shows up, we could be in serious trouble!" Jordan stated. Gia just nodded.

"Alright, so for now, training intensifies." Gia told them. "We don't know how long we'll be like this, so we need to be ready when..."

"Rangers, Rangers!" Tensou squealed as he flew up onto the deck.

"Man, I hate when this happens." Jordan muttered. It seemed like the bad guys always had the worst timing imaginable. "What is it Tensou?"

"A monster's attacking the city." Tensou told them. "He's heading for the Pentagon!"

"Please tell me it's the one that did this to us!" Jake stated. Tensou shook his head.

"No, it's a different one." He told them. "Apparently he's daring the Rangers to come and face him, he keeps saying he's indestructible!"

"Well, it's not like we haven't heard that before." Gia replied. "Come on!"

"But what about...?"

"It looks like we don't have much of a choice!" Gia interrupted Jake. "Come on, we need to deal with this guy."

Down in the city, Turtlini was tearing up the streets on his way to the Pentagon. He had been told that it was the sight of the country's headquarters of their military defence, and so had chosen it as a demonstration of his strength. People ran from him as he marched through the streets, smashing aside anything in his way. A SWAT unit opened fire, but their guns were no match for his shield.

"Your peashooters are no match for me!" He screamed, running headlong into one of their armoured trucks, overturning it. The Rangers arrived on the scene, ready for action.

"Get out of here, he's too powerful!" Jordan warned them. "Get everyone clear!"

As the cops started to clear out the street, Turtlini looked to the Rangers and smiled.

"Well, what do we have here?" He asked. "I hope it's something with a little more kick than those pea shooters your humans call weapons."

"I thought you'd never ask." Jordan responded as they all ran to the attack. Turtlini fended them off as they attacked, their swords rebounding off his forearm shields. Gia leapt up for a flying-kick, hitting only chest-height. Turtlini countered it with his shield though, causing her to slam into it, falling to the ground. The impact running up her leg made it feel like something was about to pop.

"Damn it, I was too low!" Gia complained.

"I'm heavier than you, you need to use more of your strength in the jump!" Jake told her as he went for Turtlini, only to find as he swung his sword; the hit nearly ripped it from his hand. He took a hit and flew a lot further than normal. When he hit the ground, it took him a lot longer to get up.

"I'm not as big as you!" Gia reminded him. "You can't go toe-to-toe!"

"He's too strong!" Noah complained as he tried one of his sword techniques, but found because Emma didn't have the same upper-body strength, the monster just pushed through what was a flawless technique just through sheer power and bodyweight, sending him face-first into the asphalt.

"We'll see about that!" Jordan yelled, leaping at him from behind with Orion. They figured that since they were the only ones in their own bodies, they weren't affected and could hopefully take him down before he was too much of a problem. He blasted them out of the air, leaving them in a heap alongside the others.

"You look a little, shell-shocked!" Turtlini taunted them. Orion was the first to his feet.

"We'll see about that." He told him, turning a key in the Silver Spear Blaster. As he fired it, the kick-back throwing him into a massive back-flip, he landed on his feet, ready to observe the results. Only, as the smoke cleared, the creature was still standing.

"Oh...is this where I'm supposed to fall down?" He asked in a derisive laugh. The other five Rangers all got up, putting keys into their sabres.

"Final Strike!" They all yelled together, swinging their swords. Turtlini once again just held up his shield, taking the blast full on. The Rangers could only stare in disbelief as he blew the smoke from his shield. "I have to compliment you, I actually FELT that one!"

"He's taking everything we have!" Gia yelled. "What now?"

Orion was about to power up his weapon again, but he was tackled roughly, pulling him away from the Rangers. They all watched as Lavira smashed him through a car.

"Hey Jake, it's your ex!" Noah stated.

"Do you mind?" Jake asked. "We have this guy to worry about!"

"Maybe we just need to soften him up a bit first!" Jordan suggested as the Rangers ran back towards him, turning a key in his morpher as the others followed suit, hoping a small boost would help. "Mighty Morphin'!"

Meanwhile, a short distance away, Orion found himself pinned to the ground by Lavira. He tried to get up, but she had him in an arm-lock, forcing him down.

"Stop struggling." She told him.

"If you think..."

"I said stop struggling Orion or I'll break your arm and shove that toothpick up your ass to make a point!" Lavira snapped. Orion's eyes opened wide. He couldn't look round, but there was only one person he could remember that would ever say something like that to him.

"Marv?" He asked. Marv, in Lavira's body just nodded. Transfercer had chosen Argus as the target because he was always loyal to the Prince, but the one thing he didn't know was that Argus wasn't a robot. He was a cyborg. He didn't know about Marv, or the fact that his brain was still inside Argus. Instead of switching out the programming of Argus, he had in fact put Marv into Lavira's body, without any of the control software making him a puppet.

"Yes, it's me!" He told him. "Now listen to me, I can get rid of this guy while you re-group, but you need to know...that body switching guy, he's going to try again with the World Leaders!"

"How...how do you know?" Orion asked him.

"It's amazing what you learn when people think you're someone else." Marv told him, letting Orion go. "Now, let's get rid of this guy."

"How?" Orion asked. Marv just stood with his arms open wide as he flicked Orion's Silver Spear up with his foot, where Orion could catch it.

"Just...make it look convincing." He told him. Orion nodded in understanding.

Across from them, the Rangers were being bounced around like pinballs. Turtlini was strong, but the added complication of their unfamiliar bodies definitely didn't help.

As he pulled himself up, Noah called up the only thing he could think of, the double-key blaster. It was the last thing he could think of that they hadn't used. Putting in two Pink Keys, he turned them. Turtlini just laughed.

"This again?" He asked. "Go ahead; give me your best shot!"

He fired his shot, which slammed into the shield. Transfercer struggled to hold it, before reflecting it back at Noah. It hit him, causing the blaster to explode in his face with the feedback. He hit the ground, de-morphing. As Turtlini opened his shield again, he looked a little winded.

"That...that actually hurt!" He remarked. "No one's done that in a long time!"

Just then, he heard a scream and saw Lavira running back to him, her armour damaged and clutching her side.

"We need to go!" Marv told him. "We...we should never have sent you alone, if you had adequate reinforcements, you would have destroyed them!"

"My duty is to return my superior officer to the ship!" Turtlini stated, taking the excuse to leave. "But I will be back, and next time...I'll crush you all!"

As he disappeared, the Rangers all breathed a collective sigh of relief. Emma helped Noah up. Noah was just staring at the ruined blaster.

"Well, that went well." Jake commented sarcastically.

"We really need to work this out." Jordan agreed. "If it wasn't for Lavira..."

"Marv." Orion corrected them. "It was Marv."

"Marv?" Gia asked. "Why would...?"

"It's a long story." He told them. "All I know is, he told me Transfercer is coming back as soon as he finds out where the World Leaders are being kept."

"So we know we'll get a chance to take him out eventually." Jake said with a smile. "Great!"

"That just leaves the small matter of this guy." Gia told them. "Let's get back to the ship and figure out what to do."


	4. Fixing Some Problems

Just as a reminder, all character names relate to who is IN the body! I've also tried to avoid pronouns and use the character names (believe me, it's as weird writing it as it is reading it I assure you!)

Noah has been switched into Emma's body.

Emma has been switched into Noah's body.

Gia has been switched into Jake's body.

Jake has been switched into Gia's body.

Finally, Marv (Orion's old partner as a pirate) has been switched into Lavira's body! Hope that helps.

Turtlini returned to the ship, carrying Marv, who he thought was Lavira, into the infirmary. He was still smoking from the Rangers' attacks, but thanks to his armoured carapace, he wasn't too badly injured. His main concern was the fact that a member of the Prince's Cabinet had been critically injured on his watch.

"Clear the way!" He called out, barging past medical droids. There was another Commander getting injuries seen to, incidentally one that had been injured in Turtlini's ill-advised gambling games in the drinking den, but Turtlini just kicked him off the bench onto the floor. As he laid her down, the medical droids rushed to his side. As the injured Commander was about to protest, Prince Vekar rushed in, throwing him into the corner. Seeing exactly who was in the room, the Commander opted just to leave. Gangrene was a preferable option to interrupting this. His leg could be replaced, his life really couldn't.

"What happened?" He rushed out. "Who did this?"

"The Silver Ranger did this to her." Turtlini rushed out, stumbling for an explanation. "I...I...I don't know why she was there, she just...she attacked the Silver Ranger! I would have stayed and finished them but..."

"No, you did the right thing." Prince Vekar told him. "You will be honoured. Anything you want, just name it and it'll be yours."

He looked to Lavira and forced a smile, looking on her burned, lifeless body. He saw some movement in her.

"It's alright, it's alright, you're here." He assured her. "You're safe, we can help you here."

Marv took a moment to remind himself what was going on, seeing the look on Prince Vekar's face and realised that so far, he didn't realise what was really going on. He forced a smile.

"I...I am sorry...your highness." Marv forced out, trying to keep up the pretence. Prince Vekar caressed the side of his face softly.

"That is not what you call me." He stated. Marv searched his mind, trying to think of what to say. He knew that the Prince didn't know about the mind swap, and right now that was for the best. He tried to remember everything and anything he could from the few times Lavira had powered up Argus to check on her repairs. Finally, he recalled a call she got from Vekar. He knew it was from him from the way she had a skip in her step and played with some of her tools with a dreamy look on her face as she talked to him. He looked to him.

"I'm sorry sweetums." Marv stated. "I tried..."

"Don't ever scare me like that again." Prince Vekar replied softly, his touch tender and caring. "I will see to it that the Silver Ranger can never harm anyone like that again. You have my word."

As he drew closer, Marv reached around his head, pulling him in and kissing him tenderly. It was a hit he was willing to take right now to keep up the ruse. As they parted, he could see Vekar was happy. Clearly he still had no idea his lover was not the one in the body.

"Rest up." He stated. "I want you back to full health as soon as possible. I planned to have the ceremony after my victory, but this just shows me that anything can happen. I want to love you as much as I can for as long as I can. We will be married as soon as you are healthy enough to leave sick bay!"

"Oh, my darling, nothing would make me happier!" Marv forced himself to say, throwing his arms around Vekar, more to stop him kissing him again than anything else. He lay back. "I will rest and do all I can to get better, I promise."

"You do just that." Vekar responded as Marv laid back. Seeing the door close, he just sighed.

"Well, it wouldn't be the first time I've kissed a bloke for a plan." He grumbled.

In the next room, Prince Vekar looked to Turtlini, who was just getting checked over after the battle. He approached him slowly.

"Your Highness." Turtlini stated, bowing in reverence. "My sincerest..."

"Spare me your apologies; by returning her to me you have done me a great service." Prince Vekar told him. "It almost pains me to ask one more of you."

"What would you have me do?" Turtlini asked him. Prince Vekar tensed up a fist.

"Once you are cleared to return to action, I want you to destroy the Rangers, but bring the Silver Ranger to me alive!" He stated. "I want to finish him personally!"

"As you wish Your Highness." Turtlini responded. As Vekar was about to leave, he stopped and smirked.

"I want him alive." Prince Vekar reminded him. "I didn't say I cared if he was in one piece. If you do this, you will want for nothing for the rest of your days."

"I understand Your Highness." He responded as the medical droids got back to work.

On the Red Galleon, the Rangers arrived back, Noah carrying what was left of his two-key-blaster in his hands. They were bruised, battered, and more than a little frustrated by the way things had turned down.

"We got lucky this time." Jordan stated. "If it wasn't for Lavira...Marv...whatever, we would have had our asses handed to us."

"It kind of feels like we did." Jake grumbled, flopping down on an easy chair, hanging over it like he had been poured into it. "God, everything hurts!"

"The biggest thing against us is these bodies." Emma stated, gesturing to her...in reality Noah's body. "We were totally unprepared for that battle. It was like trying to drive a car you've never driven...with no instructions...blindfolded!"

"OK, we know this is an issue." Gia said as she reached into the fridge, getting out a sandwich, taking a massive bite. "This is what I wanted to avoid, and now they know we're having problems...what the HELL am I doing?"

"You're...you're hungry." Jake told her. "Uh...I have kind of a crazy metabolism, after a big workout like that, your stomach is on overdrive."

"But...I ate just this morning!" Gia complained. However, she couldn't deny what Jake was telling her. Her stomach...well, his...felt empty. It felt like she would eat one of her team mates if they stood still long enough.

"Well, it's best just to listen to your stomach." Jake told her. "I also have this blood-sugar thing...yeah; I get cranky if I haven't eaten in too long."

"Alright, that's it!" Gia yelled, taking another bite. "I am so sick of these bodies!"

"HEY!"

"You know what I mean!" Gia yelled. "The sooner we get out of these bodies the better! I'll just finish this, and then we'll train until we can use them properly!"

"Well, isn't all of this kind of a moot point if we run up against that turtle guy again?" Emma asked. "Nothing we did made any difference! Even Noah's double-key blaster blew up! What can we do if nothing we throw at him works?"

"We make something that will." Noah told them. He threw what was left of the double-key blaster onto the work bench. He looked across to the half-finished cannon he had been working on.

"Noah..."

"I've learned a lot from the double-key blaster." He assured them. "The recoil dampener worked like a dream. I could easily ramp it up for this."

"Noah, every time you've tried to make that thing it blew up." Gia reminded him. "It's..."

"We need something strong enough to get through that guy's shell!" Noah told her. "It's risky, but risk is a part of invention! I can do this...I hope."

"Well that's reassuring." Jake said as he adjusted himself on the couch.

"Well, do we have much of a choice?" Noah asked him. "Sometimes you need a sledgehammer, not a scalpel. We need something that can punch through that shield, and what we have right now just won't cut it!"

"Then let me do it." Jordan told him. "You train..."

"Jordan, I appreciate you offering, but the fact is you're a better Martial Artist than I am." Noah told him. "You have a better idea of what the others will need to do than I do."

"Noah..."

"Please, I can do this!" Noah told him. "Emma's hands are just as dextrous as mine, and my brain is the one thing that hasn't changed in all this. I can do this."

Jordan wasn't entirely convinced, with preference he would have had Noah train in the use of Emma's body instead, but he knew the Blue Ranger well. Even with his dramatic improvement in his fighting and swordsmanship, when he was faced with something that really challenged him, that frightened him, he defaulted to his nature. He went back to science and his intellect to get him through things that scared him or that he didn't understand. It did have beneficial results at times. Jordan just nodded.

"Do what you need to do." Jordan told him. "The rest of you, come with me. I doubt Vekar will leave it too long before he presses the advantage. I know I wouldn't."

With that, the others left, leaving Noah in the workshop. He tied back his hair to keep it out his face, and put on his safety goggles.

"Alright, forty third time's the charm." He said as he took the cannon and put it down in front of him. "Tensou, can you get my tools?"

Back up on the Armada Command Ship, Transfercer was back in the mess hall, taking in a few drinks as he waited for things to pan out. He had taken care of his task for Damaras, and now he just needed to wait on Prince Vekar getting back to him about when he was to return to DC to have another go at replacing the World Leaders.

As he was about to take another drink, he felt a hand on his shoulder. His chair was tipped backwards, causing him to throw his drink into his own face, and tumble to the floor. He looked up, spluttering.

"Alright asshole, what the..." He looked up, seeing Damaras standing over him. He started to stammer.

"Oh...uh...sir...I didn't see that it was you!" He stammered out hurriedly as he got up, straightening up his chair, and retrieving his tankard. "I...I completed that task for you..."

"Yes, I imagine you did." Damaras stated. "Now...can you explain to me exactly why I just heard Lavira is in the infirmary?"

"Excuse me?" Transfercer asked him. Damaras gripped him by the shoulders, his grip uncomfortably tight.

"She intervened in one of the Rangers' battles. That sounds like pretty unusual behaviour don't you think?" He asked him.

"You asked me to switch her mind!" Transfercer replied. Damaras picked him up off the floor, his legs dangling above the ground.

"Are you saying this is MY fault?" Damaras asked him.

"No sir, no..." Transfercer rushed out, realising the danger he was in. "I just meant...it might be down to her new mind!"

"Wow, you figured that out all by yourself?" Damaras asked him, throwing him into a corner, where he landed in a crumpled heap. "You're a real genius aren't you?"

"I...I didn't tell him to go and interfere in the battle. I instructed him to do...what you asked me to." Transfercer told him. Damaras just looked to him.

"Who did you switch her with?" He asked. Transfercer smiled, thinking that this was where Damaras would appreciate his genius.

"I switched her with Argus." He replied. Damaras just tensed up. "He's off-line, so she's trapped with no way to warn anyone, and he's the Prince's loyal..."

"You did WHAT?" Damaras screamed, causing everyone in the room to look at him. He realised that if he carried on like this, he was only going to attract unhealthy attention to himself. Thinking about it, Transfercer had no reason to know the truth about Argus. No one did. Only he and Lavira knew that he had been created from a dangerous pirate because he had useful knowledge and skills.

"I...I thought..."

"Do us both a favour." Damaras said, grabbing him and hauling him to his feet. "Go back to your chambers, do and say NOTHING until anyone tells you!" With that, he started to storm out. Transfercer was completely confused.

"My Lord, is there anything I can do?" He asked.

"You've done enough!" Damaras called back.

He made his way to the infirmary, opening the door. When he got there though, he found no sign of Marv. The bed was empty. He could also see the wreckage of some medical droids littering the floor. The camera was also trashed. He didn't need to check to know that the footage would have been deleted from the hard drive.

He pulled out a blaster, looking around. He realised the danger in the situation.

"You're not Argus are you?" He asked. "No, Argus would have done as he was told. He'd have waited here until someone told him what to do!"

He didn't understand how Transfercer's power worked. Hell, he was convinced he didn't either. Argus had his own mind...well...if it could be CALLED a mind, he had so much circuitry in there, he wasn't entirely sure what anyone would call it. All he knew was that Argus was a loyal bodyguard, one that would not make a single move unless his programming or one of the Officers commanded it. The other side of his mind though, the biological component, the one that they took all the useful skills from...that was a different matter.

Marv had been a pirate, one of the Most Wanted in the sector. He had ranked only just behind Lafitte for his crimes. He was not only a dangerous opponent in combat, but he was also a strategist, and a master of stealth and misdirection. He had caused untold destruction to The Armada in his career before Lafitte sold him out. What was worse, in Lavira's body, the biometric scanners that operated the security systems would recognise him as someone with access to the entire ship! He could quite literally be hiding anywhere!

"Reverting to your old tricks are you Marv?" He asked. He didn't get an answer, but that didn't mean anything. He doubted Marv would be stupid enough to announce himself, to try and take him on in an injured body, even one with Lavira's power. He could still be in the infirmary, waiting for a moment to strike. He quickly realised that he was onto a losing game. He had the advantage when he took Marv before; Lafitte had set up the ambush. He just backed slowly out the door.

"Don't worry; I'll deal with you another way." He replied. "We'll find you eventually."

As he closed the door, he headed towards Lavira's lab. When he got there, he closed the door for privacy. He looked to Argus' inert body, seeing the scanners and machines tracking all the vitals.

"Well, we find ourselves in an interesting situation now don't we?" He declared, pacing the room. "Hello, Lavira? Oh, that's right; you aren't feeling very talkative right now are you?"

He made his way towards Argus, and stared straight into its lifeless face.

"You see...we have a problem with that brain in there. But there's a way to fix that." Damaras told her. "It just requires a little accident in the lab...and for Transfercer to have a little accident of his own."

He reached up, grabbing a power cable connecting to Argus' head. When he pulled it, power would stop running through his memory centres. The brain would quickly die afterwards. He quite literally just had to pull the plug, and all his problems with Lavira would be over.

"If I let your mind die first, then when Transfercer dies, he'll go back into a dead body." He stated. "Don't worry, I'm sure we'll find your body in due time...once the smell makes it easy to find."

He gripped the power cable.

"I hope you know, this is nothing personal Lavira." He told her. "At one time, I was hoping you'd join us."

Before he could pull the plug though, the door opened. He pulled away hurriedly as Prince Vekar came in.

"Damaras, where have you been, I've been looking all over for you!" He declared.

"I just uh..." Damaras stammered. "I was checking on Argus. With Lavira in the infirmary..."

"Oh, don't worry about that, he'll be back on his feet in no time!" Vekar declared. "I have a more important task for you."

"Your Highness?" He asked.

"I want you to be my Best Man!" Prince Vekar told him. "I'm marrying Lavira as soon as she's able to leave the infirmary!"

"Your Highness...I..." He searched for a way to get out of this, to finish what he had started, but he knew that he really couldn't without a suitable explanation. "I am honoured, but perhaps one of your friends..."

"Pish posh, you are my Chief Tactical Officer, and I have no friends!" He responded. "So, from now on, your only responsibility is to give me a Bachelor Party a night I will never forget!"

As the Prince led Damaras out of the room, he glanced back at Argus' lifeless body. He would have to hope Marv didn't pull anything soon, and try again later.


	5. Cracking a Shell

Just as a reminder, all character names relate to who is IN the body! I've also tried to avoid pronouns and use the character names (believe me, it's as weird writing it as it is reading it I assure you!)

Noah has been switched into Emma's body.

Emma has been switched into Noah's body.

Gia has been switched into Jake's body.

Jake has been switched into Gia's body.

Finally, Marv (Orion's old partner as a pirate) has been switched into Lavira's body! Hope that helps.

On the Red Galleon, Noah was working on the Cannon as the others trained up on deck, getting used to their new bodies. There really wasn't much any of them could do to help, only Jordan really understood any of the technology and as much as he hated to admit it, Noah seemed to have a much clearer vision of what needed to be done to make the damn thing work. He was sitting by the bench, handing Noah tools as he needed them, examining his work with a smile on his face.

"This is looking really impressive Noah." He complimented him. "You really have worked wonders with my tech."

"I got pretty familiar with it." Noah answered, making some adjustments. "It's not like you left us an instruction manual, so whenever anything needed repairs, I had to work backwards and figure it out."

"God damn your body Jake!" Gia complained as she came down the stairs, heading for the fridge. "I've already had a ton, how the hell can you still be hungry?"

"I keep telling you, I have a crazy metabolism." Jake reminded her. "As soon as I do any kind of exercise at all, I just burn through anything I've eaten like you wouldn't believe. My parents always said it cost more feeding me than both of them put together."

"Jake, it would cost less feeding a rhino than feeding you!" Gia grumbled as she found an orange and started to peel it. Jake just frowned at her.

"That's it?" Jake asked.

"If I do have to fill up every twenty minutes, I suppose I may as well make it healthy." Gia responded. "I mean, it is a loaner after all isn't it? I guess I should take care of it."

"Now I feel bad about having that chilli." Jake stated. Gia just glared at him. "What? I needed something with some flavour!"

Just then, before Gia could protest, Emma and Orion came down the stairs. Emma was looking more than a little pleased with herself, while Orion was shaking out his arm, with a pained look on his face.

"Hey Noah, nice work on this body." She complimented him.

"I'm glad you approve." Noah replied with a smile. "I'm guessing practice went well?"

"What do you think?" Orion complained as he took some frozen peas from the freezer, holding it to his arm. "So how is the cannon coming along?"

Before he could answer though, the alarm sounded. Gia checked the scanners, confirming that Turtlini had returned to the city.

"Damn it, I was hoping it was the other one." Gia complained. "So how's the Cannon looking?"

"I need a few minutes." Noah replied honestly. Gia just rolled her eyes.

"Well be quick about it." Gia told him. "We'll need all the help we can get."

With that, they all headed back up on deck, leaving Noah to work on the cannon alone. He took a deep breath, returning to his work.

"Alright Noah, they're buying this time for you." Noah reminded himself. "It's time to make it count."

Meanwhile, up on The Armada Command Ship, Damaras was with the Prince in his chambers, watching him prepare for the bachelor party he had insisted Damaras get ready for him. He shifted a little uneasily, looking around uncomfortably. He knew that Marv was on the loose, now that he had control over Lavira's body. It was a potentially dangerous situation to be in. Although he was most active as part of Lafitte's crew, the fact was that Marv was at one time one of the most dangerous pirates in the galaxy in his own right. The fact was that in Lavira's body, he knew that he had pretty much access to the entire ship thanks to the biometric security system, and he had a powerful body in its own right.

"Here, how do I look?" The Prince asked. Damaras just looked to him, seeing he had changed into some fancy robes for the event.

"You look very regal Your Highness." He responded half-heartedly. He was trapped at present, having to take the Prince to this bachelor party. All things considered, he would rather be dealing with Marv. The only saving grace was that the Prince expected a huge turnout. Most of the commanders on the ship would be there. He doubted Marv would try anything against the Prince in a densely packed room.

"And is everything ready?" He asked excitedly. Damaras just nodded.

"The mess hall has been decorated, and the karaoke machine set up just as you asked." Damaras assured him. "Everything is under control."

"Then why don't you relax a little?" Prince Vekar asked, opening a bottle of wine. "It's a party! It's time to celebrate!"

Damaras accepted a glass of wine, knowing that he couldn't refuse without arousing some suspicion. He downed the first glass, taking his lead from the Prince. He had a feeling this was going to be a long night.

Down in Washington DC, the Rangers arrived, finding Turtlini waiting for them. He just snorted as he saw them.

"You actually showed up?" He asked. "Haven't you got the message yet? I'm indestructible?"

"Why don't we put that theory to the test shall we?" Gia asked him, levelling a sabre his way.

"I seem to remember there being more of you." He taunted them, looking around. "Where's the pink one?"

"Don't worry, she'll be along shortly!" Jake replied. "Uh...he'll...um...OK, I'm confused."

"Come on guys; let's take it to this guy." Gia replied as they all charged him.

Up on the Red Galleon, Noah continued his work on the cannon, all while keeping an eye on the viewing screen, watching the other Rangers buying him the time he needed by putting themselves on the line. He could only watch as the battle took a frighteningly familiar tone. Before long, Turtlini was bouncing the Rangers around the street. Any time they looked like they were starting to make some headway, Turtlini would shut them down with his shield.

"Come on guys, just a little bit longer!" Noah muttered as he made a little adjustment. He checked on the diagnostic scans, and smiled. "Yes! I am a stone cold genius!"

As he started to work on closing up the casing, working as quickly as he could to get it ready, he turned his attention back to the screen. The others had taken on Samurai Mode, clearly switching things up and trying something new.

"Hold on guys." Noah told them. "I'm almost there."

Back in the streets, the Rangers were struggling with Turtlini, trying to find a way through his defences. Although they had faith in Noah getting there with the cannon, that didn't mean they weren't trying to find a way to defeat him themselves.

"Alright Jordan, do it now!" Gia screamed. "Give him all you've got!"

Jordan powered up his Spin Sword, casting a column of flame straight at Turtlini. He blocked it with his shield, holding the flame at bay.

"Is that all you've got?" He taunted them. "Turning up the heating a little?"

"Not quite!" Gia responded as Jordan exhausted the last of his Legendary Power, leaving the shield glowing bright red. "Now Emma, hit it now!"

Emma cast a huge wave of water at him, exploding against his shield in a massive steam cloud. As the steam dissipated though, they saw the shield was intact. Gia just groaned. She had hoped that the rapid cooling of the water jet would cause it to crack up, but it seemed like his shield was as resistant to changes in temperature as it was impact.

"Oh man, really?" Gia complained. "It worked for the Samurai!"

"Turtlini blasted them all to the ground, changing them all back into Corsair Mode. As they got up, Orion was the first one to take out a key.

"If chemistry won't work, how about spiritualism?" He asked, slamming the Black Lion Warrior key into his morpher. "Jungle Fury!"

The other Rangers all backed him up as he attacked, giving it all he had. For a while it worked, they managed to get him off-balance and staggering.

"Time to put a hole in his defence!" Gia yelled as she and Emma punched into his shield. He just smiled at them.

"You think that's going to work?" He asked them.

"Maybe not, but this might!" Jordan added as he, Jake and Orion all placed their hands on Gia and Emma's shoulders. They channelled their animal spirits into each other, firing off a point-blank range blast.

Unfortunately, they found themselves flying backwards, de-powering back into Corsair Mode as the energy was reflected straight back at them. Turtlini just laughed at them.

"Did you forget? I'm invincible!" He boasted. "Nothing can get through my shield! I can take anything you can throw at me!"

Just then, he was peppered with blasts, staggering him. He looked up to see Noah arriving, running into view carrying his new cannon. He got to the others, just as they were trying to get back up.

"Noah, are we glad to see you!" Jake responded.

"Sorry it took so long guys." Noah told them, presenting the cannon to Jordan. "Here, you do the honours. You're the best shot."

"Wow, I can feel the power!" Jordan commented.

"Quick, put in your Ranger Keys." Noah instructed them. The Rangers all did as they were told, turning the keys in the Power Locks. "Alright, brace for this, even with the dampeners, it has quite a kick!"

The other Rangers all grabbed Jordan's shoulders, helping to steady him as he pulled the trigger. The blast fired off, hitting Turtlini square in the shield, but this time, much to his surprise, it just kept going. He felt his shield crumbling under the abuse of the blast.

He let out a huge scream as the blast got through, slamming into him. He stared at his shattered shield in disbelief as he sank to his knees.

"You...you broke it." He stammered, before falling to his face and exploding. The Rangers all breathed a sigh of relief.

"Well, that's one problem down." Jordan commented. "Nice work Noah."

"Thanks." He replied. "Always glad to help."

Just then, they heard their communicators bleep. As Jordan opened the line, he expected Tensou on the other end.

"Tensou, what is it?" He asked. "Is that Transfercer guy...?"

"It's not your little robot friend." Lavira's voice stated. Jordan just looked confused.

"How did you...?"

"That's not important!" Marv continued. "If you want your bodies back, get to the Lincoln Memorial."

As he hung up, he opened a new communications line, this time adding a voice changing unit to the mouthpiece. He heard someone on the other end pick up.

"Who is it?" Transfercer asked. "It's bad enough I'm confined to quarters without missing the party of the century!"

"Transfercer, it's Damaras." Marv stated, the device changing his voice to sound like Damaras. "The World Leaders have been found. Get to the Lincoln Memorial as soon as possible!"

"I'll be right there!" He answered. Marv just smiled.

Transfercer got to the memorial with a contingent of X-borgs and bruisers, expecting to find the World Leaders, but instead he found...nothing. There wasn't even any sign of a security detail. He just looked completely confused as the Rangers arrived.

"He's here!" Gia called out.

"Hey, you!" Jake yelled at him. "You're going to switch us back!"

"Oh, and why am I going to do that?" He asked them. "When I can switch you around so much, none of you will know who you are anymore!"

"I don't think so!" Gia roared, rushing into action, hacking own robots on her way towards him. "I am so sick of this body!"

"Hey!" Jake complained.

"You know what I mean!" Gia answered.

"Don't let him get away!" Orion stated as he smashed down some more of the robots. "This might be the best chance we can get!"

As the last of the robots fell, they could see Transfercer looking for a way to escape. It seemed like with no more henchmen to hide behind, he was getting ready to cut his losses.

"Come on guys, this is it!" Gia told them, putting a Ranger Key in her pistol and her sabre. "Now, before he has a chance to teleport!"

"Final Strike!" They all called out together. They fired off their attack, slamming into him before he could activate his teleport command. Transfercer fell to the ground, where he exploded. The Rangers all felt a strange sensation, and before long, looking around, they were elated as they realised they were back in their own bodies.

"My body!" Emma shrieked, launching into an enthusiastic hug with Gia. "I've got my body back!"

"Boy did I miss myself!" Jake added, patting down his body, just to be sure it was his. He flexed his arm, kissing his bicep. "Oh, how I missed you."

"It feels good to be back." Noah agreed.

Meanwhile, on The Armada Command Ship, Lavira returned to her body, completely disorientated and confused. The last thing she remembered was being in her lab, working on Argus. Then...everything went black. She had no idea what had happened, but as she tried to get up, she felt hot knives of pain. Looking down, she saw injuries on her body that she couldn't remember getting.

She was also in the infirmary. She presumed that she had to have been injured in some kind of lab accident. It wouldn't be the first time it had happened. She went to a communicator, opening up a link.

"This is Lavira." She stated. "Where is the Prince?"

"Prince Vekar is at his bachelor party." The droid on the other end stated. "He asked that you rest up before the wedding."

"Bachelor Party?" She asked. "Wedding? How...How long was I here?"

"You have been in the infirmary almost twelve hours." The droid replied. She just got back onto the bench and lay down.

"I guess that accident was worse than I thought." She grumbled. It wasn't long before she was fast asleep. She had no idea what had happened, but if it expedited the Prince's decision to have the wedding, she wanted to be ready for it.

"I talk a lot of shit when I'm drinking baby,  
>I'm known for going a little too fast!"<p>

Prince Vekar was on the karaoke machine, singing loudly, drunkenly, and so badly out of tune that it was honestly painful to listen to. Of course, none of the Commanders in attendance had the courage to tell him that. Damaras swayed a little on his seat as he downed another drink. An X-borg came up to him, and handed him a report.

"WHAT?" He called out. "Transfercer is dead? What was he even doing on Earth?"

"What do you wish us to do?" The X-borg asked. Damaras just glared at him. "Right...f course sir."

As the robot left to maximise Transfercer, Damaras poured himself another drink. There was only one saving grace. With Transfercer gone, Marv would be back in his own body...more accurately Argus'. He was no longer a threat.

Later, back on the Red Galleon, the Rangers were celebrating their win. The Zord battle had gone smoothly, which was a good thing, since the Rangers were all now completely exhausted after their trying day. Jordan was on the communicator to the Underground.

"So the World Leaders are now safe." Jordan concluded. "Transfercer is gone."

"You did a good job rookies." Jason responded. "The President wanted me to extend his sincerest thanks."

"It was an honour to be of service." Jordan assured him as he hung up. He looked to the others. Jake had a massive bowl of chilli in front of him, and was wolfing it down enthusiastically. Gia had an uncomfortable look on her face as she was rubbing her stomach.

"I still can't believe you did this to me." Gia complained. "I told you spicy food plays hell with my stomach."

"Well what about all that fruit you ate?" Jake mumbled through a mouthful of chilli. "I've been peeing like a race horse!"

"I am so glad to get my own eyesight back." Emma agreed. "I can't believe you manage all that science stuff with your eyesight Noah...you are BLIND!"

"You get used to it." Noah chuckled.

"Well, I don't know about you guys, but I am getting some indigestion tablets, then I'm going to skype Cat and go to bed." Gia told them. "This day has been way too weird."

"I don't know...I kind of found it interesting." Noah stated. They all just looked at him. "I mean seriously, when people talk about stuff to do with men and women, they always say you'll never know what it's like being the other. We're the only ones that do."

"I guess it was a learning experience." Emma admitted. "Although I don't think you'd have been as happy with the switch if it had happened a couple of weeks from now."

"Oh, why not?" Jake asked. As the girls just looked at him, he just shuddered, pushing the bowl of chilli away from himself. "OK, WAY too much information! I think I just lost my appetite."

"And with that mental image, I'm going to bed." Noah declared, getting up. "And can we all agree...this is one of those stories that stays on the ship?"

"Agreed!" They all chorused together.


	6. Distress Across Dimensions

Prince Vekar woke up in his chambers with a pounding headache. The bachelor party had gone long into the night, and the drink had flown from the stores like a tidal wave. Prince Vekar had even, in a show of charity normally unseen for him, opened his own private reserve, allowing the kind of vintage normally unavailable to any but the Royal Family to end up in the hands of his Commanders. This generosity had come with a rather inevitable cost though.

"Good Morning Your Highness." Damaras greeted him as he came in, turning on the light. Vekar just groaned.

"Turn out that light; it's brighter than the sun." He complained. "And why must you talk so loud?"

"Sire, I allowed you a little extra time to recuperate after the festivities." Damaras told him. "I even took the liberty of having your serving droids attach a drip to get some fluids into your system to ease your suffering..."

"This isn't even the worst of it?" Vekar asked him. "Oh by the Gods my head hurts..."

"I have this concoction from Earth that is said to help such things. I have already tested it and it should work in your body." Damaras told him. "It is called an aspirin."

Prince Vekar drank the solution, tossing the glass aside where it shattered. He looked to Damaras.

"What time is it?" He asked.

"It's almost midday." Damaras informed him. "The wedding will take place in four hours."

"FOUR HOURS?" Vekar screamed, throwing off the covers and getting up. "And you let me sleep in like this? We need to get ready!"

"The droids are preparing the cargo bay as a hall for the ceremony as we speak." Damaras assured him. "The medical droids have been working around the clock with Lavira to ensure she is fit enough to go through with the ceremony."

"My little muffin is so brave, I should check on her." Prince Vekar stated, before stopping at the door. "No, wait...if she's getting ready, then the dress. I can't see her in the dress, it'll be bad luck!"

"Like none of this isn't bad luck already." Damaras muttered under his breath. Vekar looked his way.

"What was that Damaras?" He asked. Damaras just looked to him.

"Perhaps it would be best if you allowed the medical droids to handle it for now." Damaras suggested. He had already checked on Lavira, knowing that with Transfercer's demise, she would be back in her own body. He was relieved that Marv was gone before he could cause any harm, but it now placed him in a difficult position. "Your Highness...I have some important matters to address..."

"More important than my wedding?" Vekar shrieked. Damaras just sighed. That was his biggest issue right now, but not for the reason Vekar thought. He looked to the Prince, thinking quickly about his cover story.

"Transfercer was defeated during the festivities last night." Damaras told him. "I was..."

"Oh, what does one more dead Commander mean on a day like this?" Prince Vekar asked. Damaras just shifted a little uneasily. He had to think again, before a moment of inspiration came to him.

"In all the commotion of the bachelor party and dealing with the fallout and paperwork of Transfercer's demise, I haven't had a chance to rehearse my speech!" He rushed out. "I haven't even had a chance to run it past anyone to ensure it is worthy of you My Prince!"

"Then what are you standing around here for? My droids can dress me!" Prince Vekar told him. "Go and sort it out Damaras! This day has to be perfect!"

As he left the room, Damaras went to his chambers, ensuring he wasn't being followed and locked the door, before disabling any surveillance. He opened up your secure line.

"This better be important Damaras." Vrak growled. "I'm almost finished my little project, I can't afford any..."

"My Lord, your brother has accelerated his plans!" Damaras told him. "He is getting married TODAY!"

"WHAT?" Vrak screamed. He knew this was a bad development, one that threatened to completely de-rail a plan he'd had in the works now for years. While hearing of his brother's infatuation for his Science Officer had provided him some troubling mental images, and some amusement, together with a welcome distraction for Vekar while he moved his pieces into place, a wedding was a different matter. His plan hinged on the fact that at present, he would be the next in line to the throne. If Prince Vekar married, then Lavira would be spring-boarded into position as being a member of the Royal Family...and above him on the line of succession. The one thing he was banking on was that his brother was...to put it mildly...a moron! Lavira was no fool; her choice in partner notwithstanding, it would be no easy task to fool her into a position to be taken out. She might even...he shuddered to think about it...keep Vekar alive long enough to sire his own heirs! He could see his opportunity slipping away. "How did this happen? Why didn't you...?"

"My Lord, your brother made me his Best Man!" Damaras protested. "He dragged me to his bachelor party; this is the first chance I've had to get some time alone to contact you!"

"Well, I don't care WHAT you have to do Damaras; I don't care what you have to risk, but this wedding CANNOT HAPPEN!" He yelled, smashing a fist into his console.

"Lord Vrak?" He asked as the line went dead. "Vrak? Damn it!" Damaras exclaimed. He just sighed and shook his head. "And what exactly does he intend me to do?"

On the Red Galleon, the Rangers were up and about, and a little more upbeat than they had been. While they still had no idea what they were meant to be doing, or when they could expect to see Gosei again to complete his plan, they were all elated to be back in their own bodies.

"Never let it be said that I don't like learning new things." Jake said as he poured himself some candied monstrosity that he called a breakfast cereal, together with some milk. "But sometimes, it's great just being me."

"I am definitely not going to miss that appetite." Gia chuckled. "Seriously, what do you eat, like your entire bodyweight in sugar and meat?"

"I burn it off." Jake replied with a shrug.

Just then, they heard a disturbance outside. Jake, Noah, Jordan, Emma and Gia all quickly gathered.

"Uh...isn't Orion praying outside?" Gia asked.

"Orion, is everything alright out there?" Emma asked. Orion just poked his head down the hatch.

"Uh...guys?" He asked. "There's...something weird going on with the sky." He told them.

"It's not another storm is it?" Tensou asked, noticeably shivering. He still hadn't forgotten being hit by lightning a short time ago. Orion just shook his head.

"If it is, it's not like any storm I've ever seen." He responded. "It's more like someone's...ripped open the sky...like a handkerchief."

"What?" Noah asked. He pushed his way past the others, and started to head up the stairs to see for himself. The others quickly followed, just as curious to see what Orion was talking about. It didn't sound like anything they had seen before.

When they all got out on the deck, they all craned their necks skyward to see. They all stood open-mouthed as their mouths hung open in shock. There was red lightning in the air, arcing into a deep, blue swirling mass, which started to increase in size. It did indeed look like someone was tearing open the very sky.

"I've heard of holes in the ozone layer, but the SKY?" Jake asked.

"I have a really bad feeling about this." Emma said, looking a little uneasy. Gia just nodded in agreement.

"Noah, Jordan, any ideas what that thing is?" She asked.

"Um...you're more of an expert on cosmic events Mr Eltarian." Noah conceded. Jordan just gulped.

"Half-Eltarian." He reminded them. "If I'm not mistaken...it's some kind of trans-dimensional gateway."

"A worm-hole?" Noah asked. Jordan just nodded.

"Well, this is definitely new." Jake stated. "Vekar has never..."

"I think this is a little out of Vekar's reach." Jordan interrupted him. "Um...make that...a LOT out of Vekar's reach. If he could pull something like this, he'd have an entire flotilla here in minutes!"

"So who's doing it?" Noah asked. "And why?"

Just then, their morphers bleeped. The Rangers all knew that very few had access to their communications links. If they were honest, as far as they knew, all six of the only ones that used their communications were standing right on that deck. Gia opened her morpher, hearing a broken, crackling communication.

"...Rangers...help...vital...hurry...innocent lives..." She furrowed her brows.

"OK, this doesn't sound good." She commented. "It's coming from through that portal."

"Wait, someone wants us to go through that thing?" Jake asked. "Oh, hell no! I've seen enough of Noah's crappy sci-fi shows to know that going through some weird portal only ends up landing the good guys in some hell world full of daemons or aliens or killer robots or something."

"Before all of this, I'd have said he was watching too much sci-fi...but given all we've seen, I kind of have to go with him on this." Emma conceded.

"Guys...who else has access to Ranger communications?" Gia asked. "This could be a real call for help!"

"...come...Corinth...hurry...!" The communicator crackled out. Jordan just looked to the communicator then back to her.

"Corinth?" He asked. "The home of the RPM Rangers?"

"Wait, we have their Ranger Keys!" Jake reminded them.

"We got them from this dimension's counterparts." Noah added. "They never became Rangers here remember?"

"But their powers were still in the keys, which means if we have them...they don't!" Emma concluded. "If something's happening in Corinth, they'll be sitting ducks!"

"Guys, we can't seriously be thinking about..."

"Come on Jake, other Rangers have helped us when we needed it." Gia reminded him. "If we called for help, we'd get it."

"It's kind of like being a Made Man." Jordan told him. "If you're a Ranger, and you need help, you just call and others will help you." Gia just glared at him.

"Did you SERIOUSLY just compare us to the Mafia?" She asked him.

"Well, we do have our own code of silence, kind of like Omerta." He replied.

"OK, that aside, we did get a distress call from Rangers." Gia said, ignoring his comment. "We...kind of have to go don't we?"

"I guess so." Emma replied. "They came to our dimension to help the Samurai once; I guess it's time to return the favour."

"Yeah, no matter where they're needed, the Rangers go right?" Jordan asked.

"OK, I guess it'd be pretty cool to see another dimension." Jake replied. "So...how do we do this?"

"Baton down the hatches guys." Gia instructed them, pulling out her Ranger Key. "And it's best to suit up. We don't know if this'll be a smooth ride or not."

With that, they all morphed and headed back below deck, steering the ship into the portal. They didn't notice that on the ground, a mechanical figure was watching them.

"Ah, my plan is working perfectly. I've arrived on Earth undetected." Professor Cog stated. He watched the ship disappear into the worm-hole. "Those lousy do-gooders are so predictable. They've just flown right into my trap!"

He raised his weapon, firing a lightning bolt at the rift, at which it closed up.

"Enjoy Corinth Rangers, because you're never coming back!" He declared as the worm-hole sealed itself behind them. "And thank you for taking all the Ranger Powers with you! Now with no Black Samurai...the world will be helpless against my machines!"

Inside the worm-hole, the Rangers were marvelling at what they saw. It was like a tunnel, made of blue, swirling energy, through the very fabric of time and space itself. It turned out that the ride was nowhere near as rough as they believed, so Emma, Gia and Orion had returned to the deck. Emma had taken her camera and some recording equipment with her, promising to take some recordings and photos for Noah, who reasoned that it would be the first time anyone would be able to see real life shots from inside a worm-hole. Orion was mesmerised by it.

"I thought I'd seen everything by now, but this is incredible." He commented.

"It really is amazing!" Emma agreed, snapping some shots. Gia smiled.

"It looks like something from Doctor Who." She said, earning her some looks from Emma and Orion. "I guess the Red Galleon beats the shit out of a police phone box."

She realised they were staring at her and suddenly flushed.

"What?" She asked. "Oh come on, I'm not allowed to like Doctor Who?"

"I just think it's interesting to see that you're a closet geek." Emma giggled.

"I'm guessing this would mean more to me if I knew who the hell Dr Who is." Orion stated. Emma just laughed.

"Trust me, you aren't missing much." Emma assured him.

"Guys, we've reached the end of the worm-hole!" Jordan told them. "Hang on for re-entry!"

As they came through, they were shocked by what they found. They burst through, finding themselves flying over a desert, one that was strewn with wreckage, and that seemed to extend for miles around. Orion noticeably tensed up.

"This...this is their dimension?" Gia asked. "I thought Corinth was at peace for years!"

"How...how could things get like this?" Emma asked. She noticed Orion, and came over to him, touching his shoulder. "Orion..."

"This...it just..."

"It brings back memories?" Emma asked him. "Of Andresia?" He just nodded wordlessly.

"This is a whole different dimension, one where The Armada didn't come to Earth." Orion said dejectedly, looking to her. "Is this...is this what it's like everywhere? Is it inevitable that no matter where people are, someone's going to come along and ruin it?"

"Sometimes people will try." Emma told him, knowing her words weren't exactly comforting. If she'd been in Orion's shoes, she had a feeling she'd feel the same way. Gia pointed into the distance.

"Guys, check it out!" She called out. They could all see one of the few real structures that were still standing, a gigantic dome, rising high into the sky, and extending for miles around. Just outside it were the ruins of whole neighbourhoods and farms.

"They brought the dome back up." Emma gasped. "But...the Samurai said they'd been here, they said that they were expanding..."

"It looks like something forced them back into the dome." Gia answered, noting the ruins just outside the dome. "Alright, so now we're here, how do we get in?"

Gia's morpher bleeped, and she answered it, figuring it had to be whoever made the distress call.

"Unidentified vessel, this is General Scott Truman of the Corinth Defence Force and Mayor of Corinth City." A voice on the other end stated. "State your identity and purpose or we will treat you as an enemy and open fire."

"Uh...I'm Gia...Captain of the Red Galleon and Yellow Corsair Ranger." Gia began. "We're Power Rangers from another dimension, answering a distress signal from this dimension. We've come to help."

"Distress signal? What distress signal?" Scott asked in the lab at The Garage. He looked to his wife, the woman formerly known as Doctor K, who was at her computer. She shook her head. "No distress signal was sent from here!"

"But we got a distress signal from Corinth!" Gia insisted. "You're the Red RPM Ranger...or at least you were, it has to have been you!"

"Their energy signature is consistent with the universal bio magnetic field that powered our suits." Dr. K confirmed. "And there are biological life signs on the ship, six of them. No sign of Professor Cog's tech."

"But we didn't send a signal!" Scott reminded her.

"Professor Cog...we lost his signal a few days ago, right after he released the Turbo Falcon!" She stated. "It must be one of his schemes."

"We need to straighten this out." Scott grumbled. "Call the others here. We need to get to the bottom of this."

He got back on his communicator.

"Alright, in the spirit of trust and co-operation, we're letting you in." Scott told them. "I'm sending a signal to guide you somewhere you can land your ship. We'll send an escort to bring you to our headquarters. They will be under strict instructions to show you no hostility as long as you show them the same. As a sign of good faith, I'm asking that you allow our escort to bring you here unmorphed."

"I don't like it." Gia stated. "The odds are in their favour if we aren't suited up."

"They're just scared." Orion told her. "Looking at what happened here, can you blame them?"

"He has a point." Emma added. "Besides, we can still have our morphers on us. It'll only take a second to morph."

Gia just nodded.

"We accept your terms." Gia told him. "If your people don't make any moves, then neither will we."

"Thank you. I'm sending you your flight path now." Scott answered, cutting off the communicator. He looked back to Dr K. "Well, you've always been right up until now. Let's hope this isn't the day the streak ends."


	7. Mutual Help

In the city of Corinth, a woman watched as a man worked on the engine of her car. She looked on nervously as he looked through the systems, working away on it. She shifted her shopping bags, allowing her to get a hand to her son, who was looking fed up waiting on the repair.

"Ah, there we are, there's the problem." The mechanic said in a heavily accented voice as he pulled out an engine part. "There's the problem, you see that crack? Yeah, this thing's been about ready to give up the ghost for a while now."

"Can you do anything Flynn?" She asked. "I need my car..."

"Well, I can patch it up, but if this isn't replaced you'll be seeing me again to give the whole car its last rites in a few weeks." He told her. The woman looked completely distraught hearing this.

"I just paid Charlie's tuition fees; I can't afford to replace that!" She told him. Flynn just sighed and approached her.

"Look Joyce, I'll tell you what I'll do. I'll get you a lift home before that ice-cream melts." He told her. "I'll take this back to the shop and replace the part..."

"But..."

"We have very generous repayment plans." He assured her. "And given that Charlie here is such a good wee pal to my Callum...I think I can be a little flexible about the first couple of payments."

"Flynn, you really are amazing!" She responded joyfully. "Please, let me do something for you at least! I can...I can bring around some of those iced buns you love so much from my bakery!"

"That would be lovely Joyce." He responded. Just then, his cell phone rang. He looked to it, seeing the caller ID, before answering.

"Scott, nice tae hear from ye." Flynn began. He listened to what he had to say, his face slipping. "I'll be there."

"Dad!" He called out as he hung up. His father, who was with the tow truck looked to him. "I have to go."

"Flynn..."

"Scott called, it's urgent." He told him. "Get Joyce home and the car to the shop. He looked to the woman. "We'll have your car back on the road as soon as we can, I promise."

With that, he ran off, waving down a cab. Joyce just smiled, shaking her head.

"That boy of yours, always being the superhero." She commented.

"You have no idea." He said with a chuckle. "Come on, I'll get your car hooked up."

Professor Cog made his way down a long road, finding himself on a highway. He wasn't in the least bit concerned about the traffic, and remained completely unconcerned about the blaring horns and cars forced to swerve out of the way as he walked down the centre of the freeway. There were a few that crashed and collided in their attempts to avoid him. He smiled as he saw a car hit the central partition, sparking as it slid along it at speed, before heading on its way.

"These humans appear to be smart." He commented. "They obviously know what's good for them."

He looked up, seeing a sign hanging over the next exit, which led down into a massive city.

"Harwood County." He read aloud. "Well, I suppose my mission of conquest has to begin somewhere."

With that, he threw some nuts and bolts into the street, which formed up into a legion of Cogs. He signalled down the road.

"Come!" He ordered them. "Let us introduce ourselves!"

Over in Corinth, the Rangers landed the Red Galleon where they had been instructed, and lowered the gang-plank, stepping off into the middle of Corinth Central Square. They found a contingent of guards waiting for them, dressed in grey body suits, with black body-armour over the top, and helmets. Most of them were carrying blaster rifles, cradling them pointing in a safe direction, but still in hand ready to go. The two closest to the ship were similarly dressed, but weren't wearing helmets or hats. They didn't have rifles, but they could see pistols in holsters by their hips. Jake just pulled in towards Gia.

"Well, this is welcoming." He commented.

"You can't blame them for being careful." She responded, heading down the gang plank. The others held back a little, being ready to back her up. The male officer stepped forward to meet her.

"I'm Gia Moran, Yellow Corsair Ranger." She introduced herself. The man reached out a hand.

"Colonel Damien Hicks, Corinth Defence Force." He answered, shaking her hand. "This is Corporal Vasquez."

Vasquez stepped forward, pulling out a sort of baton, with yellow and black markings on it. Gia grabbed her hand, stopping her, while the others got ready to make their move. The soldiers all went for their rifles, readying them, but Hicks held up a hand.

"Sorry, there's been a misunderstanding." He explained. "Corporal Vasquez was just going to use this scanner to check for Venjix technology and harmful pathogens. It's just standard procedure."

"Alright." Gia said, letting go of Vasquez's wrist slowly. She could see the soldier giving her a cautious look as her free hand clipped the strap on her holster again and moved away from the gun. Gia stood as she allowed Vasquez to scan her. There were a few bleeps, and some loud bleeping as it got to the area of Gia's inside pocket. Vasquez looked to the display.

"No Venjix Tech, or harmful infections, she's definitely human." She responded. "There's something in her jacket though..."

"It's my morpher." Gia interrupted her. Vasquez just looked to her.

"I was going to say, it shows similar energy signatures to the old RPM team." She added. Hicks looked to her.

"We said..."

"We agreed no weapons; we're not the ones that turned up with an army." Gia reminded him. "The morphers stay under wraps as long as your trigger fingers don't get itchy."

"Fair enough." He replied, gesturing to a vehicle. "Mayor Truman's waiting for you. We'll take care..."

"The ship can take care of itself." Gia assured him. "For the safety of your troops, I'd recommend that no one tries to poke around while we're gone."

With that, Gia and the other Rangers headed down the gang plank. Vasquez scanned each of them in turn, finding much the same results. Jake, Noah and Emma passed with only a cursory scan. Orion was scanned, but Vasquez got some odd readings. As she frowned, everyone started to tense up again.

"You show up as human, but your muscle and bone density..."

"I'm Andresian." Orion explained. "The planet I come from, the gravity is a little higher. Apparently my kind has evolved to be a little more robust."

Vasquez just waved him on. They were scanning for pathogens and Venjix technology. Strictly speaking, weighing thirty pounds or so more than someone his size should wasn't really a crime. It still left some of the others looking a little uneasy though. As they scanned Jordan, the scanner went wild though. Seeing the way everyone reacted, Jordan quickly held up his hands.

"OK, it's not Venjix tech or a virus." Vasquez rushed out before anyone got a little too on edge about it all. "I don't know..."

"I'm not human, I'm half-Eltarian." Jordan told her. She just looked up to him.

"You're what?" She asked.

"His dad was an alien." Jake explained.

"Interesting crew you have." Vasquez commented. "There's nothing harmful here, as long as everyone keeps their trigger fingers occupied."

"Anyway, your transport awaits." Hicks stated, gesturing to the vehicle. Gia just nodded, before heading towards it, following Vasquez.

They got in, finding that the interior was surprisingly comfortable. There was a fridge, carrying some drinks and snacks, and the seating was pretty luxurious. As they got in, Vasquez and Hicks got in behind them, taking seats. Hicks made a point of removing his and Vasquez's side-arms, disarming them, and handing them to another trooper before closing the door.

"Sorry about that, we can't be too careful." He said apologetically. "We've...we've had a lot of problems. People are scared."

"They have a right to be scared by the looks of things." Noah commented as they pulled away. "What happened here? I thought Venjix was gone?"

"Venjix is, but his flunky Professor Cog's been making some major moves." Hicks told them.

"Professor Cog?" Noah asked. "Didn't the RPM and Samurai Rangers destroy him?"

"He found a way to save himself." Vasquez added. "Since then, he's been attacking virtually non-stop. He's stopped caring about keeping the infrastructure and started using bigger and bigger weapons. You saw the wastes."

"The Samurai told us you were expanding." Emma told her. Vasquez shook her head.

"He's stopped caring about what he has to do. It's like, he no longer cares if there's any of the world left by the time he finishes this war. We had no choice but to raise the dome again, otherwise...he'd have wiped us out months ago."

"This...this is a pretty windy route." Jake commented, looking out the window. He could see a large, freeway bridge over the city. "Why aren't we going that way?"

"We have...problems...with the freeway." Hicks responded.

Just then, they heard a roar of engines, far louder and fiercer than any they had ever heard. They all ducked as a huge vehicle, which looked a lot like a formula 1 racer roared past overhead. The wind caused by it passing was so strong, it shook the transport.

"What the hell was that?" Emma asked.

"That...that would be the problem we're having with the freeway." Vasquez told her. "Anyway, we're here, so we'll let Mayor Truman fill you in."

As they pulled to a halt, they all disembarked, finding themselves standing face-to-face with the RPM Rangers. The whole team was there, and had changed into their uniforms for the occasion to put them at ease, all except Scott, who was still in a business suit. He stepped forward.

"The Corsair Rangers, your reputation precedes you." He told him. "I hope you don't mind, but my wife's managed to maintain e-mail contact across dimensions with the Samurai Rangers. We did a little asking around."

"You wouldn't be doing your job if you didn't." Gia answered. Scott shook hands with Jordan.

"Scott Truman, former RPM Red Ranger." He told him. "You must be Troy..."

"Uh...my name's Jordan actually." Jordan told him, remembering that the Samurai hadn't actually seen them since Troy had left the team. "I'm standing in for him for the short term. Gia's kind of the Captain...I'm just keeping Troy's tights warm."

"Gia Moran." She introduced herself. "This is..."

"Emma, Jake, Noah and..." Scott said, guessing who they were, before stopping at Orion. "I guess you're the new guy."

"Orion." He introduced himself.

"Nice grip." Scott said, rubbing his hand after the handshake. "Well, here's my team. Dillon, Ziggy..."

"Gem and Gemma!" Orion interrupted him, seeing the twins. They just looked at each other, before looking back at him.

"Have we..."

"...met?" Gem concluded. Orion realised that this would be difficult to explain. They had met in one of his visions. He had spoken to them when he first fused the Gold and Silver keys. It seemed, though, that they hadn't experienced that.

"It's...hard to explain." He assured them.

"Summer, Flynn." Gia said, looking to them. "We...uh...we met you...but the you that live in our dimension."

"Well, since we've all been introduced, how about we get rid of the elephant in the room?" Scott told them. "We didn't send any distress signal. The signal you received was from someone else."

"Professor Cog?" Noah asked. Dr. K just nodded.

"I'm afraid so." She told them. "He was attacking us relentlessly, forcing us back into the dome. Once we raised it, we entered a kind of stalemate."

"Our Ranger Powers disappeared." Summer explained. "It was about a year ago, all of a sudden our morphers just stopped working. The Universal Bio-magnetic energy grid..."

"Morphing Grid." Jordan corrected her. "Where we're from, we call it the Morphing Grid."

"Well, whatever it is...it disappeared." Dr. K told them. "Without it, we couldn't access any of our weapons or hardware. The Zords, we can't risk powering them up, without our connection to your...Morphing Grid...we can't control them, so we've had to keep them de-powered and sealed in the vault beneath the Garage."

"Without our weapons, we couldn't hope to defeat Professor Cog. Anything we have is like...water pistols compared to his stuff." Ziggy told them. "But he doesn't have anything that can get through the dome, so..."

"Stalemate." Gia concluded. "Why does he want to destroy the world so much if he wants to take it over? What's the point in owning it if there's nothing worth owning?"

"I believe that I have an answer to that." Dr K told them. "Shortly before you arrived, our scanners stopped picking up traces of Professor Cog or his army."

"Wait...they just disappeared?" Jake asked.

"I believe he no longer cared about keeping the planet intact because he has sought his sights elsewhere." Dr K told them. "We believe he may have sought out a world with more resources, one that Venjix hasn't reduced to...this."

"You mean...our world?" Gia asked. She just nodded.

"I am also afraid to say that the worm-hole you came through has closed." Dr K informed them. "I believe that Professor Cog sent that signal."

"So we came through to help you..."

"And he closed the worm-hole, keeping us trapped here and leaving him with a world full of resources and no Rangers to stop him!" Jake said, throwing his hands up. "And we fell for it!"

"We're trapped here?" Emma asked. "There's no way back?"

"We'll do all we can to help you find a way to re-open the worm hole." Dr K told them. "If I still had my Ranger technology, it would be simple, but without it..."

"If anyone can do it, it's Dr K." Scott assured them. "In the meantime, we'll put you up and..."

The whole building shook as they heard the familiar whine of engines and screeching of tyres.

"OK, that could get annoying!" Jake stated. "What's with that anyway?"

"That was Professor Cog's little parting gift." Scott explained. "Dr K was working on a new Zord, the Turbo Falcon, before the Morphing Grid went down. We never got a chance to test it; we knew we wouldn't be able to control it."

"Unfortunately, Professor Cog somehow hacked it before we got the dome up." Scott told them. "I guess he figured it would be ironic to have our own technology finish us off."

"We corralled it onto the Freeway." Flynn told them. "There wasn't much else we could do, but with all that road to race around on, it seems happy enough to just run around all day and night. At least while it's there, it isn't wrecking the city."

"Well, maybe we can help you out with that." Gia suggested. "You might not have Zord anymore, but we do!"

"We can't ask..."

"Hey, we came here to help right?" Jake asked. "It's not like any of us can help with the portal thing...well...maybe Jordan could, but..."

"You know about trans-dimensional portals?" Dr K asked. He just shrugged.

"I know a little." He told her. "My dad's people kind of invented them."

"Then you can stay and help me here." Dr K told him.

"I'll go with the Corsairs." Scott announced. "They could always use someone who knows the city."

"Can...can I go too?" Ziggy asked. "Um...on the ship I mean. I could...uh..."

"You want to ride on a pirate ship don't you?" Jake asked. Ziggy just nodded enthusiastically. "Anyone else?"

"Well, I'll probably be more use here, helping Dr K." Flynn stated.

"We'll go." Summer said, taking Dillon's arm. The Black Ranger didn't say anything, just nodding in agreement.

"We'll stay here..."

"...and help Dr K!" Gemma concluded.

"Alright, we've got a Zord to capture." Gia stated. "Come on!"

With that, they all headed out on their mission. Dr K just looked to Gem, Gemma, Jordan and Flynn.

"Alright, let's see if we can't open that worm-hole." She responded.

Up on The Armada Command Ship, Damaras was still struggling to think of ways he could get out of this situation. He had been trying to think of ways to de-rail the ceremony all day, but he couldn't think of anything.

Even now as he stood, looking ridiculous in a tuxedo that was stretched over his mechanical body, he was still trying to find some inspiration. It didn't matter that he was standing at the altar, with Prince Vekar at his side, waiting for Lavira's arrival. It didn't matter that the ship's Master of Ceremonies, whose duties generally amounted to two-minute speeches whenever another Commander was destroyed was waiting to read his first wedding was watching. He was still trying to think of how to delay this, to keep it from happening until Vrak could enact his plan.

"Damaras, do you have the rings?" Prince Vekar asked again. He just nodded. Just then, the music started up. Prince Vekar snapped his gaze forward, and Damaras did the same.

Lavira started to make her way up the aisle, being accompanied by droids, with a massive smile on her face. Even though she was still injured from the previous battle, she could not be happier. He was standing waiting for her; her Prince was waiting to swear himself to her forever.

She was bowled over though as a couple of X-borgs ran past her, bumping into her. She yelled her disapproval as they ran up to the altar, shoving their way to see Prince Vekar.

The first was smashed into oblivion in a fit of temper as Vekar reacted in reflex, realising it wasn't Lavira.

"You, what do you want?" He demanded.

"Sire, someone is attempting to take over the Earth." The X-borg told him.

"Well no shit!" Prince Vekar replied sarcastically. "Now if you don't mind, I'm getting married!"

"Your Highness...it isn't you." The X-borg stated. "Someone ELSE is attacking the Earth as we speak."

"WHAT!?" Vekar screamed. He turned and stormed up the aisle, past Lavira who was just getting up.

"Damaras, Lavira, power up Argus and come with me!" He ordered them. "I didn't work this hard to have some upstart snatch the Earth from under my nose!"


	8. Taming the Turbo Falcon

**A/N:** Before I go further, I just wanted to address a point that was made about my last chapter by a reader. I mistakenly referred to Professor Cog's henchmen as "Cogs", which a reader pointed out were the footsoldiers of the Machine Empire, not Venjix. The correct term is "Grinders." As I have said before, I don't mind if someone points out a genuine mistake with my writing. Having watched the show since the beginning, and getting older, I will admit that sometimes my memory isn't what it was, and I can get mixed up on some details on occasion. As such, I would like to take the opportunity to thank the reader for bringing this to my attention. So special thanks to Earthbird for pointing out the slight failing in my memory on that count.

Professor Cog and his army of Grinders marched on Harwood, coming to the edge of the city. The freeway was already clearing as people abandoned their cars to run. Harwood, by now, was intimately familiar with monster attacks, and so the citizens knew what was likely to come. Grinders laid down a hail of fire, wrecking vehicles as Professor Cog overturned a van that was blocking his path.

"Now this...this is more like it!" He said, a note of delight in his voice. "This city is rich with energy and building materials!"

He looked around, seeing a billboard hanging over the freeway, depicting the Corsair Rangers, bearing the message "Earth Fights Back". As the home of the Corsair Rangers, Harwood had become the unofficial capital of the resistance to The Armada's rule. Professor Cog levelled his weapon, blasting it into smithereens and laughed.

"Where are your saviours now?" He asked. "No one is coming to save you! This world is..."

As he declared his victory, there were some explosions and some debris from ruined Grinders flew past him. One, which was little more than a torso and a head just stared up at him, unable to move or do anything. He stomped on its head, destroying it as he turned to see where the attack had come from.

He looked on in confusion as Prince Vekar started to stride towards him. He was flanked by Lavira on his right, whose shoulder-mounted rocket launchers were still smoking, and Argus on his left. Damaras was a little behind him, being followed by some bruisers, and backed up by a legion of X-borgs. Professor Cog searched his databases, but he could find no mention of this creature. In his dimension, The Armada had never arrived on Earth, and so he had no data on them.

"You dare to attack my army?" Professor Cog declared.

"Professor Cog I presume?" Prince Vekar greeted him. "I thought you were destroyed. Weren't you defeated by...what was it again...a man with a paintbrush?"

There was a laugh from his Commanders as he said this. Professor Cog just glared at him. It was a humiliating defeat. When he had attacked the Earth before, he had almost succeeded in his plan to destroy the Rangers, fulfilling his end of his bargain to Master Xandred. Unfortunately, the timely arrival of the new Black Samurai Ranger had led to a speedy defeat. With his mastery over Metal Symbol Power, Professor Cog's army was poorly matched against him. He had quite literally just willed Professor Cog's body apart. It was only sheer luck that he managed to transmit his consciousness back through his dimensional portal and download it into another body.

"This is my planet! I'm taking it over, not you!" Prince Vekar called out regally. "Now, push off and find somewhere else to go!"

"I don't think so." Professor Cog answered. He didn't want to admit it, but coming to this dimension was something of a desperate move. The resources of the Earth in his dimension were dwindling, and would in no way support a whole empire once he finally managed to destroy Corinth. By the time he managed to break through their shields and destroy the city, he would be left virtually alone on a barren wasteland; waiting on the day he would no longer be able to power his fuel cells. He couldn't go back; this dimension was his best hope. "My army is all-powerful!"

"We all have robots." Prince Vekar declared, drawing his sword as he gestured to the X-borgs. "One last chance, go back to whatever scrap heap you came from and I'll spare you!"

"NEVER!" Professor Cog yelled. With that, his army charged. Argus drew his sword as The Armada Army charged into battle.

"Turn them to tinfoil, but Cog is mine!" Prince Vekar declared as he powered up his blade.

Meanwhile, back in Corinth, the Red Galleon was flying over the freeway in search of the Turbo Falcon. Gia looked a little dejected as they looked out for the errant Zord on the deserted freeway.

"Something on your mind?" Summer asked her.

"I'm just wondering how hard it can be to find a fifty foot long racing car on a deserted freeway." She grumbled. "Where is it?"

"The Turbo Falcon definitely has its own timetable." Summer answered. "Don't let its size fool you; it really burns up that tarmac."

Gia looked to the rest of the team assembled. Jordan had stayed behind, but Scott, Summer, Dillon and Ziggy had gone with them to help them look. They knew the city better than the Corsairs, and so they figured they would help the search, while Dr K tried to find a way to send them home. She knew that had to be playing on Gia's mind.

"Look, you can't blame yourself for trying to help." Summer assured her. "We've all been played at one time or another."

"I'm the Captain. It was my call to come here." She told Summer. "Now we're trapped here! Now Professor Cog, Vrak and Vekar have the world and no one to defend it! I might be single-handedly responsible for leaving the Earth completely defenceless!"

"Hey, we all mess up. We do." Summer assured her. "You see Ziggy there? He used to be in the Scorpion Cartel. My husband? He's a hybrid, a Venjix infiltrator unit that almost tried to destroy us more than once."

"I guess no Ranger team gets to have normal lives." Gia stated. She looked to Summer. "You're not like your counterpart back home."

"Spoiled, rich princess?" Summer asked. Gia just nodded. "Oh, believe me, I was like that here at one time. It just took the end of the world to show me that there was more to the world than just me and what I want."

"Husband eh?" Gia asked, looking to Dillon. Summer just nodded.

"We have a girl too." She added. "Rose. She's almost two. I couldn't be happier. So...any of the guys on your team...?"

"Uh...that really isn't an option for me." Gia told her. Summer just smiled.

"Oh, right. You're gay?" She asked. Gia just looked at her a little curiously. "It's really not a huge deal here."

"It isn't?" Gia asked. Summer just shook her head.

"When the world ends, people's priorities change." Summer told her. "When you're fighting for your life, no one really cares if the guy fighting next to him is gay, black, Muslim, Atheist...whatever. They're just grateful that someone is fighting with them."

"I...never thought something good could come out of something like that." Gia commented. Just then, a shout went up from the Crow's Nest.

"The Turbo Falcon..."

"...Is right ahead!" Gemma declared excitedly, bouncing with excitement, pointing over the bow. Emma and the others ran to the bow of the ship, assembling by the rail.

"There he is!" Emma declared.

"Wow, that thing is really cooking!" Jake stated, seeing the Turbo Falcon burning up the road at incredible speed.

"Hit the afterburners!" Gia declared. The Red Galleon started to accelerate, catching up to it. The Turbo Falcon was indeed massive, and flying around the Freeway so quickly, there was no doubt that it was risky. It was only the fact that no one else used the Freeway, fearing getting in the path of the Turbo Falcon that meant they could work with little fear of harming anyone else.

"Alright, now we've caught up to it, what do we do?" Gia asked. "We don't want to open fire if we don't need to. Someone could get hurt."

"The Zords have DNA that runs their core systems." Scott explained. "They're partially sentient, that's how we managed to keep it contained. We directed the Turbo Falcon somewhere it could be happy."

"If it has a brain...maybe we can talk to it." Noah suggested. Jake took a loud hailer and smiled.

"I have an idea." He declared. He leant over the edge. "Hey, Turbo Falcon, pull over! You're breaking the speed limit!"

Dillon just face-palmed as they got absolutely no response from the Zord.

"He's not serious right?" He grumbled. "That was his plan?"

"Sadly, yes." Gia stated as Noah took the loud hailer next. He thought about what he was going to say.

"Don't be afraid!" Noah called out. "We're your friends!"

The Turbo Falcon turned towards them, facing them, reversing at speed. It seemed like it recognised the Ranger energy coming from the ship, like it knew that they were connected to it, but it still seemed unsure.

"I think its working. We just need to be nicer, to convince it." Emma said, taking the loud hailer next. "Come on, it's OK, come on."

The Zord just continued to look at her. It was a lot like an animal. It could tell that they were connected to it, but it didn't seem sure that it could trust them. Gia remembered what her mom had said about the time she owned a dog.

"You have to let it know who's boss, make it respect you. Here." She responded, taking the loud hailer from her. "HEY! Car! Pull over!"

The Turbo Falcon just turned around, starting to race away.

"Did that Zord just..." Before she could answer though, the exhaust unit at the back turned around, so the four upper exhausts were at the bottom. They all watched as the middle exhaust rose up vertically. Gia just looked enraged. "Oh hell no!"

"Did the Zord just flip Gia off?" Jake chuckled as it blasted away. Gia just turned to him, glaring.

As the exhaust ports returned to their original position, they aimed at the ship. Everyone dived for cover as it started launching power blasts at them. The whole ship shuddered under the abuse.

"He's going to blow the ship apart!" Summer complained.

"Alright, we tried the diplomatic approach." Gia stated, looking to the RPM Rangers. "Man the guns, the rest of you, come with me. We need to shut this thing down, now!"

With that, they all retreated below deck, preparing for a fight.

Back in Harwood, news helicopters hovered over the battle site, taking footage as Prince Vekar's forces and Professor Cog's army of robots fell upon each other in an orgy of destruction. Power blasts and missiles flew back and forth, while the close combat raged in the centre of the highway. One of the helicopter crew could hardly believe what he was seeing.

"Those monsters, they're all fighting each other!" He commented.

"You mean there's more than just The Armada out there?" The cameraman asked.

"That's what it looks like!" He responded. "Where the hell are the Power Rangers?"

"They've always shown up before." The cameraman stated. "There has to be a good reason."

"So what do we do?" The pilot asked.

"What else can we do? Keep shooting!" The other guy responded. "If we're lucky, maybe they'll take each other out."

Back in Corinth, the Red Galleon came down closer to the Freeway, continuing its pursuit of the Turbo Falcon. Summer and Dillon manned the guns, creating some covering fire as the Zord ports opened. Gia, Jake and Noah brought out their Zords, following it along the road.

"We need to shut this thing down!" Gia stated, ramming into the Turbo Falcon with her truck. "Come on! Try and hem him in!"

"I'll try and cut him off!" Jake answered, racing ahead in his racer. He slammed on the brakes as soon as he was in front of it, but as he did so, the Turbo Falcon launched into the air. As it went over him, he could see the wheels turning into thrusters and launching it into the sky.

"Oh, come on!" He complained. "It can fly too?"

"I'm on it!" Noah yelled as he opened fire. Unfortunately, it manoeuvred out of the way expertly, and his shots simply flew harmlessly into the side of the dome. "Damn it, it's too unpredictable to land a shot on! No wonder Dr K kept this thing locked up!"

"It's like a wild animal!" Gemma stated. Just as she said this, Gia suddenly got an idea.

"Gemma, you're a genius!" She called through the communicator. "Guys, it's a wild animal, we need to tame it!"

"As much as I hate breaking wild animals, this time I'm making an exception." Emma stated. "The Turbo Falcon is too dangerous in the wild."

"Well, first thing's first, let's bring it down!" Dillon called out. They steered the ship into the Turbo Falcon, slamming it downwards. The Red Galleon's greater weight was a deciding factor, forcing it back down onto the freeway.

"Activate the Megazord sequence!" Gia called out. Quickly forming up the Megazord, they flew after it. Gia had the Megazord pull out its anchor, wielding it like a grappling hook.

"Alright, we might only get one shot at this!" She stated. "Get in nice and close...and...NOW!"

Throwing the anchor, it slammed into the Turbo Falcon, giving them a grip on it, and allowing them to pull themselves on top of it, mounting it. They quickly worked with the chain, creating a set of reins for themselves.

"Alright, we've got a good grip!" Gia stated. "Now it's just time to show it who's boss!"

They struggled with the controls, the Turbo Falcon swaying dangerously across the freeway as it tried to throw them off.

"Come on, come on!" Gia yelled. They yanked hard on the reins, guiding the Zord as they tried to get it under control. After some time, the Turbo Falcon suddenly spun completely around, before coming to a complete stop. They heard it revving its engine.

"Is...is that it?" Jake asked. "Is it under control?"

"I think...I think it is." Gia said with a smile. "It's accepting us as its masters."

"Wait, how do you...?"

"I don't know, I just...feel it." Gia answered. The Turbo Falcon rose up in a wheelie, and roared its engine, before settling down. The Rangers dismounted it cautiously, keeping a hold of the reins, but it didn't try and pull away. They all breathed a sigh of relief. Scott just smiled.

"Well, nice job guys." He complimented them. He got on the communicator. "Dr K, good news. We managed to get the Turbo Falcon under control. Corinth officially has its freeway back."

"Well that's good news, but unfortunately I'm having a lot less luck." Dr K told them. "I've found a weakness in the dimensional barrier where the Rangers came through...unfortunately it's going to take a lot of energy to create a portal."

"How much energy?" Gia asked.

"More than we have access to, that's for sure." Flynn replied sadly. "If we still had access to the Paeleomax Megazord, we could send you on the train, but we can't get it to work. We've tried everything we can think of..."

Just then, the Turbo Falcon roared its engines. Gia looked to it.

"Guys, I think the Turbo Falcon is trying to tell us something." Gia stated. She listened to it. She couldn't understand how, but somehow it was speaking to her. "Dr K, the Turbo Falcon is made with the same technology as the Paeleomax right?"

"That is affirmative." Dr K told her.

"I think he's trying to tell us...he wants to help!" Gia stated. "We're bringing him in."

She hung up her communicator and looked to the Turbo Falcon.

"We're taking you to some friends." She said in a soothing voice. "Will you follow us?"

The Turbo Falcon roared its engines again. Gia just smiled.

"Take off the reins." She told them. "He'll follow us."

Since when did Gia learn to speak car?" Jake asked. Emma just looked to him.

"Is that really the strangest thing you've seen since we became Rangers?" She asked. He just shook his head.

"I guess not." He responded as they all boarded the Red Galleon, heading back towards The Garage.


	9. Cog in the Machine

The Red Galleon hovered over The Garage as the Turbo Falcon raced inside, screeching to a halt. Gia, Emma, Noah, Jake, Orion, Dillon, Summer and Scott came in, finding Dr K working frantically in her lab.

"Alright Dr K, do you have anything?" Gia asked.

"It appears that your connection to our old Ranger Powers appears to exert some measure of control over the Turbo Falcon." Dr K told them. "Most of our equipment is inoperable, but somehow, you have enough power to allow the Turbo Falcon to access its full range of power."

"He seems to have settled down a lot." Gia said with a smile. "I guess he just needed a firm hand to remind him what side he was on."

"I was able to utilise the Paleomax Megaord to send my team across dimensions to your reality the last time Professor Cog journeyed there." She told them. "With Jordan's help, I've managed to re-create the circuit that allowed us to do so and made it into an engine cell. We just need you to use your powers to energise it."

"And then we'll be able to go home?" Gia asked. Dr K nodded.

"It should allow the Turbo Falcon to break through the portal." She stated.

"Wow, thanks, this is all great." Noah replied. "I just...I just feel a little bad we can't get more time to get to know each other."

"We kind of felt the same, that's why we made this." Gem told him. He handed Noah a laptop. "It's got a few special modifications; just like the one we gave the Samurai Rangers. It'll allow you to contact us across the dimensional divide."

"Cross-dimensional e-mail?" Emma asked. Gemma just sighed.

"It's the best we can do." She stated. "Without our old tech, we can't come to your dimension to visit."

"I really wish we could stay longer." Gia added. "But we need to get back, hopefully while there's still a planet to save."

"We understand." Scott agreed. He reached out a hand, shaking Gia's hand. "Good luck. We want to hear all about it."

"We'll turn Professor Cog into scrap for you." Jake assured him. "Believe that."

At that point, Flynn wheeled in a trolley, carrying an engine cell the size of a tombstone. Gia and the others just looked at it in shock.

"Uh...that's it?" Noah asked. Jordan just shrugged.

"Well, normally the engine cell goes into the Zord before it grows to full size." He reminded them. "Alright, now we have to power it up."

The Corsair Rangers all morphed, before approaching the engine cell slowly. They laid their hands on it, channelling their energy into it. As the engine cell started to glow, Jordan smiled.

"It's working!" He told them. "Just a little more!"

Eventually, it flashed, and they could see a Corsair Ranger logo appear on it. The Turbo Falcon roared its engines, as a port opened in the side of it. Gia looked to it.

"Alright guys, let's load this thing up." She told them. They all strained, heaving the engine cell up off the trolley.

"God, this thing weighs a bloody ton!" Jake stated.

"It's designed to be inserted by a Megazord." Flynn informed them. "Sorry, it was the best we could do at short notice."

As they finally slid the engine cell into place, feeling it click home. The port swung closed, and the Turbo Falcon roared its engines. Its tyres screeched, and it tore out of the Garage, heading for the Freeway.

"Alright guys, come on!" Gia called out as they ran out, grabbing their lines and zipping back onto the Red Galleon. They followed the Turbo Falcon closely as it got onto the freeway, gaining speed, before it took off.

"Keep on him!" Gia told them.

They watched as it powered up to full speed, before slamming into an unseen barrier. They watched as a new worm-hole tore open.

"He's done it!" Noah yelled. "He opened the gateway!"

"Come on, while it's open!" Gia stated. "We don't know how long it'll be open!"

They flew through the gateway as their new friends watched for the ground. The gateway closed behind them.

"They seemed like a great team." Flynn commented. "I wish we had more time with them."

"Don't worry, I have a feeling this won't be the last time we meet." Scott replied. "I have a feeling we'll see them again."

Back in Harwood, the battle between Vekar's forces and Profesor Cogs intensified. There were already huge piles of debris from the casualties on both sides mounting up on the highway. Although Vekar had the advantage of strength, bringing his War Cabinet with him, Professor Cog had the advantage in numbers. Still, as time went on, his forces were starting to dwindle. The individual strength of warriors like Argus, Lavira and Damaras were becoming a huge deciding factor. Prince Vekar was forced to a knee by a power blast. He mopped some blood from his lip with his wrist.

"This Armada is really strong!" Professor Cog commented as he saw Vekar, still smoking from the attack, planting his sword in the ground for support, and heaving himself shakily to his feet. He had to admit getting a little freaked out by now. Some of his attacks were capable of destroying heavily armed vehicles. It should easily have incinerated a puny biological organism...to see Vekar not only survive his last attack, but actually getting up was something he could never have anticipated. "How have you not taken over the world already? Are you really that incompetent?"

"I would tell you I would make those words your epitaph, but you're just a robot, robots don't get funerals do they?" Prince Vekar declared, levelling his sword his way. "Perhaps I'll recycle you! I could turn your head into a drinking cup...or perhaps even a chamber pot!"

As the two sides were about to fall upon each other once more, a massive flash of light, thousands of times brighter than a clap of thunder split the air. A worm-hole opened up, and the Turbo Falcon rushed through, before the Red Galleon appeared. Professor Cog just screamed in frustration.

"The Rangers!" He screamed. "How...how did they come back? My plan was perfect!"

"They have an annoying habit of doing that." Prince Vekar declared. Professor Cog saw him staring up at the Red Galleon as it descended. Professor Cog, got a thought as he saw this. The battle had subsided briefly.

"You...you are a powerful army." He conceded. "Perhaps if we join forces..."

"Sorry, I share glory with no one!" Prince Vekar declared with a smile. While he wouldn't admit it to his opponent, the battle had taken a lot more from his forces than he cared to admit. While he had confidence in his new powers, indeed confidence enough that he considered himself a match for the Rangers, the fact was he had already been involved in a lengthy battle. Even he wasn't foolish enough to push his luck. "Lavira, Argus, Damaras, we're going! Why waste our time with this...rust bucket when the Rangers can take care of him for us?"

With that, the Armada Forces all teleported, leaving the battleground. Professor Cog tried to open a worm-hole, but realised that in the battle, he had used too much power. He no longer had the energy to flee back to his own dimension. He was stranded. The Rangers formed up before him.

"Professor Cog I presume?" Gia said with a smirk. "We made a promise to some friends. And since it feels appropriate, why don't we keep this thing familiar?"

The Rangers all flipped out their RPM Keys as the Grinders formed up behind Professor Cog.

"RPM, get in gear!" They all chorused, morphing into the RPM team.

"You think you scare me?" Professor Cog screamed, gesturing forward the Grinders. "Grind them into paste!"

Up on The Armada Command Ship, Vekar and his cabinet arrived back. Lavira was quickly at Vekar's side as he slumped a little in his stance.

"Wine!" He called out to his attendants. "Never mind my cloak, bring me wine!"

"Sweetums, you're injured!" Lavira told him. He just waved her off.

"It's nothing!" He assured her. "My droids will see to it in time! Where is that damned wine?"

An X-borg finally appeared with some wine, handing it to Vekar. He finished it in one gulp, before gesturing for another. Lavira just looked to him.

"Your Highness, you should rest." She told him. "We have still to..."

"That upstart thinks he can just come here and take what is rightfully mine?" He asked. Just then, another X-borg came to him, handing him a message. He looked to it and smiled. "Lavira, my love, I am afraid we must marry another day."

"Of course, I understand my darling." She told him. "We can marry tomorrow..."

"No, it will be later than that." He told her. He showed her the message. "My delivery...it has arrived."

"Your delivery?" Damaras asked. This was the first time he had heard of any kind of delivery. He knew that Prince Vekar had requested reinforcements, but he was under the impression that they were still waiting. He had no idea Vekar had requested anything else.

"I am going to my chambers. I need to rest." Prince Vekar told them. He caressed Lavira's cheek tenderly with his hand. "Tomorrow, I will end this war myself, and gift the Earth to you as a wedding present. I swear this as my wedding vow."

With that, he tuned and left them. Lavira took Argus to her lab to effect some repairs on him after the battle with Professor Cog. This left Damaras on his own on the bridge.

He looked around to confirm he was alone as his communicator started to bleep to alert him. He pulled it out, answering it.

"Lord Vrak?" He asked.

"Nicely done Damaras!" He complimented him. "That robot you sent to battle my brother was a stroke of genius!"

"Uh...I sent?" Damaras asked.

"That wedding would have allowed Lavira to leapfrog my rightful claim to succession." Vrak stated. "I doubt my baby brother has any interest in marrying today."

"Uh...no, he has said he will not marry today." Damaras stated, remembering his words. "He has also said that he will not marry tomorrow. He is preparing for another attack."

"I have to admit Damaras, I had my doubts, but you've worked miracles! Well done!" Vrak told him. "This will be remembered once I am on the throne."

"You are too kind Lord Vrak." Damaras responded as he hung up. He steadied himself on a bulkhead, breathing a sigh of relief. He had nothing to do with Professor Cog. Him showing up was as much a surprise to Damaras as anyone else, but it seemed that Vrak believed it was one of his schemes. He had lucked out and he knew it, he wasn't going to upset that now by telling Vrak the truth.

Back in Harwood, the Rangers were carving a path through Professor Cog's forces, smashing them all into oblivion. They knew from what the RPM team had told them that there were no more energy signatures in their dimension, which meant that Professor Cog had thrown all his eggs in one basket. He had taken all his forces with him. Demolishing the last of the Grinders, the Rangers rounded on Professor Cog, who was still trying to amass enough power to get home.

"It's just down to you now Professor Cog!" Orion called out, levelling a Cloud Hatchet his way. Professor Cog realised he didn't have the power to make a worm-hole yet. He had no way out, other than to fight.

"It's just as well that's all I need!" He said confidently. "Dragon Spirals!"

The Rangers all dived for cover as he fired a series of glowing machine parts at them, destroying much of the street.

"Alright, let's bring out the big guns!" Noah stated. "Turbo Cannon!"

"Rocket Blaster!" Emma added as they both got up, firing at Professor Cog. He launched his own energy attack, engaging in a battle of wills. Neither side was willing to give up. Noah and Emma braced themselves, struggling to hold on. Gia got up, powering up her Zip Charger.

"Eat this!" Gia screamed, launching it at him. He was already struggling to hold off the attack from the others, and could do nothing as Gia blasted him. He struggled to get up, his circuits sparking from the abuse. He got up in time to see Orion, Jake and Jordan rushing toward him.

"Cloud Hatchets!" Orion screamed, ripping off a significant part of his armour as he rushed past.

"Turbo Axe!" Jake added, slamming into him with his weapon, creating a huge rent in his torso. He moved out the way as Jordan aimed for it.

"Street Sabre!" He called out, bringing it through in a destructive arc. Professor Cog could only watch helplessly as the blade went straight through him. He could feel his systems failing. He had no option but to activate his download.

As he grew to massive size, the Rangers quickly assembled the Megazord. Professor Cog stared them down.

"You don't know what you've done!" He yelled at them. "You've doomed your world AND theirs! Sure, I might have to wait a while before I can go back, but once I do, there will be nothing that can stop me!"

Before the Rangers could do anything though, he was peppered by blasts from the sky.

"What the hell?" Noah asked. They looked around to see the Turbo Falcon circling around, launching into a devastating attack. Emma just smiled.

"You threatened his home, that wasn't a good idea!" She replied as it landed before the Megazord. The Turbo Falcon revved its engines.

"Guys...he wants to be part of this." Gia told them. "I say we let him."

"You're for it now Cog!" Jordan stated. "Legendary Turbo Falcon Megazord!"

The Megazord joined up with the Turbo Falcon, which formed up the bottom half of it. They could all feel the power it provided. They raced forward, far quicker than he could respond. They raked across him, slicing him apart without mercy.

"You...you can't do this!" Professor Cog protested. "I am a machine! I am the ultimate..."

"You know what? You talk too much!" Jordan snapped. "Take to the sky!"

The Turbo Falcon took off, carrying them into the air. Professor Cog swung for them, missing them, his energy all but spent.

"Come down here and fight me!" He screamed.

"You heard the man." Gia stated. "RPM Legendary Final Strike!"

Powering up one of their swords, they fell from the sky, splitting Professor Cog in half from head to crotch in one blow. He sparked, before falling to the ground and exploding in a huge fireball. The Rangers landed, skidding to a halt.

"Hey guys...check it out, look where we are!" Gia commented. They all looked around, hardly able to believe it. They had been all over the world in their long search for the keys.

"Harwood." Noah stated. "We're...we're home!"

The Turbo Falcon roared its engines, at which Gia just smiled.

"Yeah, its fine, you go home." She told it as it detached, heading skyward. It flew through a portal, heading back to Corinth. "He'll be back if we need him. Well, how do we feel about doing the same?"

"Are...are you serious?" Jake asked. "We can go home?"

"Well, until Gosei decides to put in an appearance, I don't think it really matters where we wait." Gia said. "So what do you say guys? Who feels like going home?"

They all cheered their approval as they returned the Red Galleon to its ship form and headed towards the city. All of them were smiling, all of them felt their hearts pounding as they thought about it. It had been a long time, but they were finally going home.


	10. Back in Harwood

Eric was on the phone, sipping some green tea as he took a call from Kyle concerning the state of his company. He smiled.

"It's good to hear." He stated as he was interrupted by the door bell. "Look, someone's at the door, but I just wanted to say...thanks for all you've done."

"I really didn't..."

"Kyle, if it wasn't for you, my company would have fallen apart after my heart attack." He stated. "Thank you, it won't be forgotten."

As he hung up, he went to the door, pulling his cardigan around him.

"Alright, so what are you selling?" He asked. He looked up to see Gia and Emma standing before him. It had been so long since they had left, he couldn't think of anything else to do. He launched forward, gripping both of them in a tight hug.

"You...you're here!" He stammered. "You're really here!"

"Yes, we're here Mr Goodall." Gia told him.

"You have no idea how much I missed you dad." Emma declared as tears ran down her face. She was so close to Eric for so much of her life that it tore her apart to be separated from him. This was the first time in close to a year she had been able to see him. "I love you!"

"I love you too sweetheart." He replied, kissing her forehead, before doing the same to Gia. "I love both of you! Please, all of you come in!"

He funnelled the team into his Living Room, showing them in. He looked more than a little unprepared, he started shuffling some papers around, newspapers documenting the Ranger's victories, shoving them aside.

"Um...sorry the place is such a mess...Louise normally does this stuff and she's at work." He told them. They'd all met and knew Eric, and knew what he meant by this. While his heart attack wasn't fatal, it took a lot from him. He was very restricted on what he was still able to do for himself. Never mind guard duty, even the stress of office work was a tall order for him physically. While he had been one of the most bosses anyone could wish for, after his heart attack, he had been all but house-bound. "Noah...you're looking...wow!"

"Yes sir, I've had a lot of time to train." He responded, gesturing to his new muscular build. Even he could admit that when he had left, he was the runt of the team.

"Jake, you're looking well". He stated. "I'm guessing you're the new guy."

"Orion." The Silver Ranger introduced himself, shaking his hand. "It's an honour to meet you sir."

"The honour's all mine." He replied. "Anyone looking after my little girl is alright in my books."

"Dad, we were hoping we could stay a little while." Ema told him. "Of course we'll make our own arrangements but..."

"You're welcome for as long as you want!" He declared. "Come, come, let me get something for you!"

Emma looked worriedly at Gia, before following him into the kitchen. She saw him rushing around, trying to prepare a platter for them.

"Dad..."

"Emma, it'll only be..."

"Dad, we're fine." She assured him, taking his arm. Putting her hand on his arm, she could feel the bone. He had lost a lot of weight, mostly in muscle, most likely because he wasn't working out as much after his heart attack. He couldn't risk it. She smiled at him. "I...I just want to see you."

"I think I can manage that." He replied. He took the tray through and laid it down, looking to the team.

"You...you all look well." He stated. "Um...I imagine things were pretty exciting on your journey."

"They were." Jordan answered. "Troy...he's around..."

"He came back about two weeks ago!" He told them. Emma looked a little puzzled.

"He did?" She asked. The truth was that she didn't really know what Troy was doing. All she knew was that he had gone somewhere to learn to cope with his new disability. He had left the team shortly after he'd had the lower half of his right leg amputated to save him from blood poisoning. He had promised that he would return, but for the most part, he hadn't dent any kind of message to them. For the first week or two she could understand that he didn't have anything to say. After a couple of months, she had to admit that it hurt.

"Yeah, he got back into town weeks ago." He told her. "So, Jordan, apparently you're the Red guy now!"

"In name only I assure you." Jordan told him. "Gia's the real team leader."

"I...I can't believe that this is the same group of kids I had around for Sunday lunch." He replied. "Um...I have something I need to do..."

"I'll help." Emma declared as she followed him into the kitchen. She saw him moving around some dishes, loading the dishwasher.

"I really wish you'd given me more notice, the place is a mess." He told her.

"Dad, it's fine, really it is." Emma assured him. He just looked to her, his hand caressing her cheek tenderly as he stared at her.

"I just...you have no idea how long I've wanted to see you." He told her.

"I've missed you too daddy." She replied, taking some dishes from him. "How about I help you with some of that?"

On hs ship, Prince Vekar was sitting on the edge of his bed, drinking heavily. He had seen what the Rangers could do, and if he had to admit it...he was scared. He now finally understood why the Earth had never been taken over.

He maintained a front when he was around his Council, but he now doubted if his forces could actually defeat them. He was lost, lost between his vows to the woman he loved, and to his father. If he was ever to step up and rule, he needed to bring Earth under his heel.

"Your Majesty, it is ready." One of his droids stated. He just nodded, finishing the bottle he was drinking, before throwing it aside, shattering it against the wall. He picked up another as he went to the hangar, finding Lavira with the Zord.

"It...it is magnificent." She told him. "But..."

"There is no 'but' in this matter." He interrupted her. "I cannot go on until I destroy them."

"Your Highness..."

"My father ALWAYS thought more of Vrak than he did of me!" He screamed. "It is only by the laws of succession that my big brother wasn't automatically the heir! If he was, my father would certainly have chosen him instead of me!"

"My love..."

"I promise you, I will do this." He told her. "Then I will make you my bride, and our children will rule the galaxy."

As he looked back to the Zord, a towering creation bearing his face on the chest, he smiled.

"Send Argus to me." He declared. "This time, the Rangers are FINISHED!"

Meanwhile, in his base, Vrak was keeping a close eye on things. He could see from the last battle that his younger brother's grip on power was becoming weaker by the day. He had eventually won over Professor Cog, but only both sides had almost destroyed each other.

He looked to Wayne, who was sitting by his son's bed, holding his hand.

"I need you to do something." Vrak told him. Wayne looked up to him, his eyes puffy, and red from his tears.

"You want more from me?" He asked.

"Gosei took your son's mind! You KNOW I can give it back to him!" Vrak barked. "I have one thing to ask of you in return."

He threw a photograph down in front of him. Wayne just looked at it in amazement.

"But...My Lord..."

"You know what must be done!" He snarled. "If you do this one thing, your son will be returned to you, stronger than ever."

"But...but...I can't..."

"He knew about all of this and did nothing!" Vrak reminded him. "He knew the power they had and he said nothing! He remained silent while you watched your son being shipped off to an asylum!"

He stepped closer, getting in his face.

"Do this, and I will give you back your son." He assured him. Wayne just nodded.

"I will do as you command" He responded.

Back at the Goodall place, the Rangers were making themselves at home. Although they all had families and loved ones to get back to, they had spent most of their free time back in the day at the Goodall place. It felt right to be here, and they lost track of time. Even when Louise came home and realised they were there, they had stayed because of the familiarity of the whole setting.

Orion made his way into the kitchen, purportedly to get more chips, but as he stood, leaning over the sink, Jake came in.

"Dude, the kitchen isn't that huge." He stated. "The chips are in the cupboard."

Orion didn't say anything though. As Jake got out the bag of chips, he looked to him.

"Orion...?"

"It's been a long time." He stated. "Back home, when someone had been gone a long time on a trading trip or something, we used to have a feast like this."

Jake just sighed.

"Orion..."

"I know, it's just one of the things I'll have to get used to." Orin told him, resting his hands on the window sill. "Eric reminds me a lot of my dad."

"Orion..."

"A rock fell on his head and he broke his neck." Orion told him. "He wasn't disabled or anything, but there was a lot of stuff he couldn't do anymore. He never taught me how to play..."

He wiped his eyes as he realised he was crying. He didn't want to look weak, but Jake came over, rubbing his hand over his shoulders.

"I cried every night for nearly three months when I realised my mom and dad wouldn't be there to make breakfast." He admitted.

"Orion..."

"That's the thing Jake, you, the others...as fucked up as the world is...you have something to fight for, I don't!" He stated. "Andresia's gone, it's done, it's finished!"

"Orion, there's something I need to tell you, and it's not going to be easy to hear." Jake said as he sat down. "You're not the only Andresian left."

"But..."

"I talked with Lavira when she was...into me." He responded. "Orion...some of your people were taken off the planet before it was nuked. They were sold as slaves."

"SLAVES?" Orion roared, glaring at him. "They were sold as SLAVES?"

"And do you know what else? It was your buddy Marv that did it!" Jake told him. "He brokered the sales!"

Orion grabbed Jake in a startlingly strong grip, holding his shirt and heaved him to his feet. He rushed him over to the wall, smashing him against it, caving in the plaster.

"Orion..."

"You knew this and you kept it from me because I was what? A useful weapon?" He roared, before throwing Jake to the ground. The Green Ranger could swear he felt something break as he was slammed into the ground, and given the mood Orion was in...he really couldn't be surprised.

"Ahckeashei Ashooumey fackwatch!" He exclaimed, standing over Jake. It was only as they heard a mechanical click, they realised someone else was there. Eric levelled his pistol at him.

"Back it down." Eric told him coldly. "Back it down and step away."

"My whole world..."

"Right now I don't really give a shit what happened to your home world." He replied. "You lay your hands on him again, I'll take your fucking head off!"

Orion realised the position he was in. He let go of Jake, at which Eric just jerked his head to the door. Jake left without another word, leaving him with Orion.

"Mr Goodall..."

"Orion, I served in the Special Forces. I've been in some of the worst places on Earth." He told him. "I've seen the very worst that humans can do to one another. It's something I'll never forget as long as I live."

He strode forward, getting right in Orion's face.

"You're Emma's friend, so I won't make a big deal out of this." He told him. "But if you threaten my daughter or anyone she cares about...dicky ticker or not...I will end you!"

Orion didn't know what to say. He was still angry with Jake, having heard what he had. He now knew that Jake knew his world, his people weren't extinct as he believed. Jake had been lying to him, someone he thought he could trust was lying to him.

As he looked to Eric though, he realised that there were others that care about his friends, those that would never abandon them. Orion held his hands up.

"I can't say what happened on your world, and I am sorry for your loss." Eric stated. "But if you threaten anyone under my roof again, you'll have me to answer to."

"I'm sorry Mr Goodall." Orion replied. "I won't disrespect your home again."

Eric just nodded, before backing away.

"There's some ice-cream in the freezer he told him. "Get it out would you?"

Orion just sheepishly got the tub of ice-cream out of the freezer.


	11. The Armada Megazord

The streets of Harwood were unusually still as Prince Vekar teleported down into the streets with Argus by his side. He also had some new droids with him. They looked a lot like the Bruisers, who served as the strong arm, the sledgehammer of his army, but they were red in colour. He had opted to take only a few strong henchmen with him, in lieu of the usual legion of foot soldiers. He wanted to show the People of Harwood, who had somewhat become the banner for the resistance. As the home of the Corsair Rangers, they were a natural target for him. He stood on the streets as people started to panic and run.

"People of Harwood County! You have continued to flaunt and deride my generosity and mercy for far too long!" He declared. "Today, I demonstrate the cost of your defiance!"

He and Argus drew their swords as they started to fire off power blasts, destroying vehicles and buildings. Prince Vekar cackled as he delighted in the panic he was causing.

"Where are your saviours now?" He asked. "Where are your precious Power Rangers?"

Meanwhile, at the Goodall house, Eric was sitting on the couch, fidgeting nervously as he looked over the Rangers, his daughter especially. It had been months since they'd had to leave the city on their search for the keys. Now that they had all the keys, they had taken the opportunity to return home. He had sorted out some snacks and suchlike for them, but he really wasn't sure what to do or say to them.

Their morphers bleeped, signalling the alert. Gia was the first to answer.

"Rangers, there's an attack in the city...its' Prince Vekar!" Tensou declared. "Rangers...he's attacking the city himself!"

"He's what?" Gia asked. It was indeed a strange move. While they knew that Vekar had gained new powers in his training, he still wasn't known for taking direct action. Noah turned on the television, flicking to the news. They confirmed that Tensou was correct. Prince Vekar was in the city. There were no X-borgs, no bruisers...only Argus and his new Bruisers could be seen.

"I can't believe it, he's really come himself!" Gia stated. They could hear from the feet that he was calling out challenges to the Rangers.

"We need to get out there." Emma stated. "He's going to level the place."

"We might not get another chance like this." Jordan stated. "We could take down Prince Vekar once and for all!"

"Come on guys!" Gia stated. "If it's a fight he wants, it's a fight he'll get!"

With that, they all got up and filed out of the house. Emma stopped by her father as she was about to go.

"Emma, please...be careful." He told her. Emma just nodded in response.

"I will." She assured him. In truth, she was more worried about him than she was herself. She knew that seeing her run off into battle against the ruler of The Armada couldn't do his heart any good. She kissed him softly on the cheek, before leaving the house, following her friends. As Eric watched them go, no one noticed as a dark figure watched him from the end of the street.

Vekar was having the time of his life, causing pointless destruction. He had always loved causing suffering, but nothing prepared him for the visceral pleasure of the fear and hopelessness he caused with his own hands. He cackled in delight as he saw a school bus at the end of the street. He powered up his blade.

"Precious little children, so full of hope." He said as he started to walk towards them. He launched his blast, only to have it smashed aside as Noah arrived on the scene. The others lined up beside him.

"Wow, you are so powerful and impressive...you can bully a bunch of kids?" Noah sneered.

"A distraction I assure you!" Prince Vekar declared. "I was getting tired of sending a veritable who's who of inept Commanders after you! Now, I plan on taking care of you myself!"

"Really?" Noah laughed. "Big talk for the guy I sent crying home to his ship with a broken nose!"

"Just for that, you'll be first!" Vekar screamed, rushing towards him. Orion glared at Argus, seeing him standing before him. Jake could guess what he was thinking. They knew Marv was inside, they knew he had been responsible for the slave sales.

"Orion, think about this." He beckoned him. "I know you're angry, but please...don't do anything stupid."

Orion responded by screaming at him in Andresian, before rushing at him, swinging his Silver Spear in wide arcs. Jake tried to join him, but he was sent flying by one of the Red Bruisers.

"OK, they are no ordinary bruisers!" He commented. "What the hell are they?"

"We are the Kingsmen!" One of them answered. Gia and Emma looked at each other.

"They talk?" They asked together.

"Well, that's a new trick." Emma agreed.

"Stay sharp guys!" Jordan stated. "I have a feeling that isn't the only surprise we can expect out of them!"

In his underwater base, Vrak was watching the battle raging on his monitors, a smile crossing his face. His brother was nothing if not predictable. Professor Cog's success had been a huge hit to his ego. He had almost had the world stolen out from under his nose. Vekar had always been petulant. Having almost lost the planet to a mere machine, he was now throwing himself into the mix, putting himself in harm's way. It was pretty much exactly what he had predicted he would do...it was all falling into place.

He looked around as Wayne came into the room, bearing the signs of a struggle. He had been sent out on another assignment for Vrak. He sneered as he saw him.

"Run into a little trouble did you?" He asked sarcastically. Wayne just glared at him.

"It's done. That's all that matters!" He told him. "Now, what about what you promised me?"

"I keep telling you to be patient." Vrak told him.

"I've been patient enough!" Wayne screamed at him. "You promised to return my son!"

"That I did, and he's almost complete." Vrak told him. He pressed a button, at which a panel slid open. A fine mist enveloped the room, making it hard to see. He recoiled in horror at what he saw.

"What...what have you done to him?" He asked. "You said you'd restore him!"

"I've improved upon him!" He said with a little smirk. "Now, your son will be more powerful than ever. By the time he's ready, he will have all the power he needs to take his revenge on those who stole his mind!"

"You bastard!" He screamed at him. Vrak got up, grabbing Wayne in a powerful grip.

"You seem to be forgetting who you're talking to! I'm the only one that could have returned your son to you!" He told him. "Did you really think I would do that if there was no value to me in the process? You complain how I do it? You'll get your son back...once he has done something for me!"

He shoved Wayne away from him.

"Now, get out of my sight!" He told him. "You still have some value to me. Don't make me reconsider that."

Back at the site of the battle, Vekar was sent staggering as Noah managed to strike across his chest. He had taken some hard shots himself in response, and he was struggling just to hold his sword. He didn't want to let Vekar see that though, and stood before him, levelling the sword across his shoulders, a trick he had picked up from Jayden to reduce arm fatigue.

"You're not doing too badly." Noah complimented him, looking for signs of his friends. He knew they were dealing with their own fights, and he was hoping he could hold out until they could help him. He grinned as he stared down the Blue Ranger.

"That's a bad little wobble in those legs of yours." Prince Vekar stated. "So, are you just scared? Or are you starting to weaken?"

He started to power up his blade, while Noah stood to take the attack. He could recognise the technique, it seemed that in his time since his battle with Jordan, he had been training. It seemed that now, he was able to control the Solar Flare Attack.

"Solar Flare!" He called out. Noah channelled some energy into the blade, struggling to hold the attack. He was finally overpowered, knocked flying to the ground. Gia, Emma and Jordan quickly joined him.

"Noah, are you alright?" Gia asked.

"I'll be better once we take him down!" Noah grumbled.

"Some chance!" He stated flatly, putting away his sword. "You know...as fun as this has been, I think I'm going to bring out the big guns!"

With that, there was a huge rumbling. The Rangers all looked skyward as a huge, flaming streak flew across the sky. They all shielded themselves as they realised it was coming their way.

"Oh...that can't be good!" Gia commented.

"Behold, the latest and greatest weapon ever created by my planet's forges! The Armada Megazord!" He declared proudly, panning his hand to the machine.

"Is that...his face?" Jordan asked.

"Just when I thought it couldn't get any uglier." Emma answered.

"I hope you remember those words girl! They're going to be your epitaph!" He replied. He teleported inside the Megazord, which powered up, and started moving. Gia gulped.

"Jake, Orion, forget about your playmate!" Gia told them. She heard something, presumably Andresian coming through the communicator.

"Uh...Orion's not really listening right now!" Jake responded.

"Well if that thing flattens the city, it really isn't going to matter if we take down Argus!" She reminded him. "Orion, we can help you take care of him later, but for now, get your ass in the Q-Rex!"

Orion and Jake broke off from Argus, reluctantly leaving him as they took to the Zords. The Rangers quickly formed into their respective Megazords, taking up positions either side of Prince Vekar's Megazord.

"Think you're the only one with a Megazord? With this almighty weapon, the world will soon be mine!" He told them.

"We'll just have to break it, like we broke all your other toys!" Jordan called back. "Summoning Turbo Falcon!"

They launched the Turbo Falcon, which raced towards him at speed, blasting away. They all stared in disbelief as the Armada Megazord dodged the blasts though, leaving them to fly harmlessly into the air.

"But...how? Nothing that size can move that fast!" Orion complained.

"Don't worry, we've got more keys!" Gia reminded him as they avoided his counter attack. "Legendary Q-Rex Megazord!"

"Ha, do you think that thing has a chance against me?" He taunted them as he raked across them with massive blades attached to the wrists of his Megazord. "My armour is indestructible! And the hyperdrive engines make this Zord the fastest vehicle in existence! Armada Arrows!"

The Megazord was rocked as energy arrows struck it. Noah looked to the display.

"Energy levels are dropping like a stone!" He told them.

"This is crazy!" Emma exclaimed. "It's like...everything they sent before, they were just playing with us!"

"What can we do?" Gia growled in frustration.

"We need to find a weak spot!" Noah told them. "If we can't find a weakness, he'll just pick us off a piece at a time until we're finished!"

"Armada Galactic Strike!" Vekar called out, powering up a massive attack. As the attack hit them, the controls started to spark and smoke. The Rangers could feel the power leaving them.

"We're breaking up!" Gia called out.

"You guys have to eject!" Jordan told them. "I'll finish this alone!"

"Jordan, don't be a martyr!" Gia screamed. "We're not leaving..."

"Sorry Gia, but I'm not giving you a choice in this!" He answered, hitting the command. "Emergency Eject System!"

The Rangers were all teleported out of the ship, taking the choice out of their hands. Jake, Gia, Emma and Noah all found themselves landing a significant distance from the battle site, de-morphing as their powers took the hit, saving their lives. They all looked up in time to see the Red Galleon flying, large plumes of smoke spewing out of it as it flew over the horizon. It slammed into the cliffs on the outskirts of the city.

"Jordan, NO!" Gia screamed.

"He...he sacrificed himself to save us!" Emma stated.

"You see Harwood! You see what I've done to your precious Rangers?" Prince Vekar declared in a booming voice through his Zord's tannoy system. "One Ranger down, and now I'll hunt down the others at my leisure!"

Elsewhere, Orion pulled himself up from the ground. He had gone much further than the others, ending up on a street by himself. He looked around, looking for any sign of the others.

He heard a scraping of metal on metal, and turned to see an overturned car starting to move. There was a huge bang, and it flew towards him at speed. Orion dived and rolled out of the way as it slammed into a wall, right where he had been. He looked up to see Argus coming towards him.

"You!" Orion said coldly, facing him down. Argus started to make his way towards him, drawing his sword.

"You humiliated me once Silver Ranger." Argus stated. "I owe you!"

"I was just about to say the same thing!" Orion responded as he morphed, running into battle.

Meanwhile, on the edge of the city, the Megazord had come to rest in some rocks, badly damaged. Jordan had finally ejected at the last minute, and was lying a short distance from the ship, completely unconscious.

He was starting to come to as he heard some footsteps coming his way. His vision was blurry, so he couldn't see who it was. All he could see was a dark figure coming towards him.

He started to crawl across the stony ground, searching for his morpher. It was laying a little way from him. He dragged himself towards it; every muscle in his body just begged him to lie down. The figure got up to him, and knelt down with him.

"Don't try to move." He said. "You're going to be alright."

"Who...who are...?"

"I'm a friend." The man replied. He positioned himself under Jordan's arm, helping him up. "Come on, I'll help you sit up."


	12. Orion's War

Damaras was on the bridge of The Armada Command Ship, pacing around as he watched the battle on the monitor. He knew when the Kingsmen and The Armada Megazord had been sent as reinforcements that Prince Vekar had something serious in mind. He had been noticeably growing more and more impatient with his Commanders' constant failures, and the mounting cost of resources he seemed to be throwing into a meat grinder to be destroyed by the seemingly unstoppable Rangers.

He had sided with Vrak long ago, thinking that he was the best bet to lead The Armada to overall victory. Vrak had told him that everything was going to plan. He had even told him that he had counted on Vekar's move of going into battle. His plan finally made sense; he planned for Vekar's own arrogance to be his undoing, that his insistence on going into battle himself would lead to his destruction. However, there was now a hitch in the plan. He couldn't fathom the result...but he had seen it with his own eyes. He had watched as the Red Galleon crashed into the mountains, taking the Red Ranger with it. He suddenly felt a cold panic running through him. Almost worse than an overall defeat, the worst thing for Vrak's plan had come to pass. Beyond expectation, it looked like Vekar might ACTUALLY succeed!

He was just putting the finishing touches of a feast that Lavira had insisted they throw in his honour for his return. He had contacted them to tell them that he was bringing the Megazord back to rest. Now that he had rid himself of one Ranger, he wanted to savour the experience of hunting down the rest at his leisure. As he stepped into the room, there was a huge round of applause from his assembled troops, and he bowed regally, accepting their adulation.

"My darling, you were magnificent!" Lavira gushed as she rushed to his side, hugging him tightly. "The Rangers had no idea what hit them!"

"Of course, it was inevitable. It's like they always say, if you want something done right, you just have to do it yourself!" He declared arrogantly as he looked to the massive dining table that had been erected in the Command Centre. "What...what's the meaning of all this?"

"I thought, since we're delaying the wedding a little longer that we could still have a little feast to honour your inevitable victory." She told him. She showed him a bottle of wine. "The Kingsmen brought several cases of this with them."

"This vintage, this is the finest wine made on my home planet!" He declared.

"I also happen to believe it is your favourite." She cooed. "I thought an occasion such as this merits something special."

"Where is Argus?" Damaras asked. Vekar just waved him off.

"He has business with the Silver Ranger." Vekar told him. "I decided to let him get it over with. There are four more to hunt; I can give him that one."

Vekar took his place at the head of the table, while Lavira sat at his side. He gestured for Damaras to sit with them.

"Your Highness, I have business..."

"Business shnisness...this is a celebration!" He declared. "Just relax for once in your life won't you?"

Damaras just took the glass from Lavira, who handed it to him with a smug grin. Relaxing was the last thing he felt like doing.

Back on the ground, in Harwood, Noah, Jake, Gia and Emma were running through the streets, searching for their friends. They had become separated from Orion, and Jordan, they knew he was somewhere with the Red Galleon in the cliffs outside of the city.

"Orion!" Jake called out, running through the ruined streets.

"ORION!" Gia screamed as well. There were emergency services on the scene by now, helping people who had gotten caught up in the battle. Emma stopped as she saw someone crawling out of a wrecked car.

"Here, let me help you!" She stated, reaching inside and helping the guy out the back of the car. He looked to her, recognising her.

"Rangers!" He stated. "You're still alive!"

"We weren't sure ourselves for a while there." Noah answered. One of the paramedics on the scene came up to them.

"That was something else, thank God Vekar left afterwards." He stated. "Here, let me check you out, anything to help..."

"We're fine." Jake assured him. "But we've really got to find our friends!"

"Rangers!" A cop called out. They looked over to him, preparing to run. They'd had something of a mixed relationship with law enforcement on their journeys. Some of them had helped them, but others had actually tried to sell them to The Armada. As he came up to them, he smiled. "Thank God you're alright! I thought Vekar had gotten you for sure!"

"Yeah, that seems to be a common thought." Gia grumbled. "We need to find..."

"The Silver Ranger is over on Rivermore, fighting that freaky robot bodyguard Vekar has." He interrupted her. "One of the other units just called it in."

"That's miles away!" Jake complained. The cop pulled out some keys, and jerked his head in the direction of a patrol car.

"Not if you hit the blues and twos!" He told them. Noah just looked to him. "Come on, you guys help out the world all the time, it's a small price to pay!"

"Dibs on driving!" Jake called out excitedly, taking the keys. The others just glared at him. "Oh come on? How often am I going to get to drive a cop car with the siren on?"

"Fine, just try not to park on a fire-hydrant or...do anything else like you would do." Gia told him as they ran for the car. "Thanks again!"

As they got in, Jake spun the car around, before with a screech of tyres, he flew up the road, hitting the siren. The cop just cringed.

"Yeah, I just won't regret that at all." He hissed. "I am SO getting fired!"

In his underwater base, Vrak was desperately trying to reach Damaras, but his communicator had been switched off while he was at the dining table. Of course, without being able to see onto the ship, Vrak had no idea that was what was happening. All he knew was that right now, like Damaras, he was beginning to panic.

"Damn it, why don't you answer?" He growled. "Bucket-headed simpleton, where the hell is he?"

What's going on?" Wayne asked. Vrak turned towards him, glaring at him hatefully.

"My stupid brother suddenly decided to become competent!" Vrak screamed. "Damn him, why did he have to choose now to grow a backbone?"

"He...he's beaten the Rangers?" Wayne asked, suddenly feeling a little ill. He knew Vrak's plan, and he realised that it was beginning to unravel. Vrak just gathered up a weapon, heading to a chamber.

"YES, he's beating them!" He screamed. "God damn my baby brother...he might actually do it!"

Wayne watched as the door closed behind Vrak and gulped. He knew how close things were to falling apart. He had only chosen to side with Vrak in the vain hope that he would bring Mikey back to full health, return his son to him. Now, it looked like they were all screwed.

"I can't believe I'm saying this." Wayne muttered. "Rangers, go and get the son of a bitch!"

In the city, Orion was locked in a deadly battle with Argus, both of them throwing everything they had at each other. He let out a hellish yell as he thrust his Silver Spear at him, with every intention of putting it straight through him. Argus parried, but even still staggered from the force of the blow.

"You're good Silver Ranger!" He complimented him. "But you are still no match for me!"

"We'll see about that!" Orion called out. "Silver Ranger, Gold Mode!"

Slamming the anchor key into his morpher, he powered up, preparing to unleash everything he had on Argus. The cyborg looked to him as he started to power up his Legendary Attack.

"Do you really think you can match power with me?" Argus asked him. He started to power up his Solar Flare attack. Both warriors launched their attacks, which slammed into each other, causing a massive explosion that sent both of them flying from each other. Orion used his spear for support, hauling himself back to his feet. His vision was blurred, and he found it hard to breathe. He threw off his helmet to make it easier to catch his breath.

As Argus also pulled himself back to his feet, He could see that his face plate was cracked. As he got to his feet, a large piece of it fell off, exposing part of a face behind it. His flesh was an unnatural shade, and half of his face was still covered in cybernetics, but his blood boiled as he saw the face of his former friend.

"You're weakening Silver Ranger!" Argus declared. "I never tire! I never suffer pain! I can keep going..."

Orion ran at him, swinging his Silver Spear, which was glowing brightly with energy. Argus was barely able to block it as he unleashed his assault. Both of them struggled for supremacy, but eventually it was Argus' strength that was the deciding factor. Just as he had boasted, he didn't tire, while Orion had already been in several desperate battles that day. His spirit was willing, but his strength was starting to fade quickly. Argus back-fisted him away, sending Orion to the ground, his mouth filling up with blood. He spat it out as he tried to get up.

"You know you can't win! Your strength fades with every passing breath, with every drop of blood that spills." Argus stated. "I am a machine! I'm invincible!"

"You're nothing!" Orion screamed at him. "You're not a machine; you're not even a man! You're scum! The lowest form of being that ever lived!"

"Insults...you're reduced to childish insults now your end is near." Argus stated. "I'll be sure to bring your head back to Prince Vekar. He will appreciate..."

They heard a roar of engines, and a siren. Argus looked up just in time to see a police car flying their way. It slammed into him, pinning him to the fender as it carried on down the street, hitting a concrete building. Gia just looked to Jake as she started to struggle with her seatbelt.

"Really Jake?" Gia questioned him. "You hit him with the car?"

"It worked didn't it?" Jake asked as they all started to slowly make their way out of the car. The seatbelts and air bags had done their job, keeping them safe. They took off down the street, running over to where Orion was still getting up.

"Orion!" Emma screamed, getting to him first.

"Out of the way!" He told her. They all watched as the patrol car started to move. Orion started to make his way forward, levelling his Silver Spear at it. As Argus staggered into the street, he held up his hands.

"Orion, wait!" He called out. He fell to his knees. "For the love of God, please stop!"

"Marv?" He asked, the anger obvious in his tone. He didn't like Argus, the cyborg had beaten him badly in battle before, had caused them no end of trouble, but he wasn't in command of his actions. Marv was a human at one time, a man Orion had considered a friend! All he could think, seeing him before him was that he was begging him to stop, and yet all he saw was what Jake had told him. He could see Marv counting his money as he watched some slave ship taking Orion's people away. He still didn't know how many of them, or even IF any of them were still alive! He gripped the Silver Spear tightly. "You have the nerve to ask me...?"

"Please, I know I deserve everything that happened to me!" He told him. "My control circuits are damaged...I need to say..."

"Do you think I give a damn about ANYTHING you have to say?" Orion screamed. "You sold my people, my planet like cattle! YOU WERE MY FRIEND!"

"I didn't even know you when I did that!" Marv implored him tearfully. "I know it doesn't excuse what I did, but I never...I never expected to meet and have a friend like you!"

The Rangers all watched as tears started to run from his eye, down the only remaining side of his face.

"If there was anything I could have done, believe me I would, but by the time we became friends, I knew you'd never be able to forgive me!" He implored him. "I...I'm sorry!"

Orion didn't say anything, just standing before him, his spear levelled at him. Marv just looked to him.

"I...I have to ask for your help." He stated. "Please...put me out of my misery!"

"Orion no!" Emma begged him. "What he did was despicable, but this won't bring back your people!"

"We can help you!" Noah told Marv. "You're in control now; you can come with us..."

"The Armada will never let me go!" He yelled. "If they ever get their hands on me, they'll just repair the chips and I'll be a puppet again!"

"You'll be a slave." Orion sneered. "It seems like karma if you ask me!"

"Please, I don't want to live like this!" He begged him. "They replaced almost everything; I'm not even a corpse! Take away all the metal and I'm a bloody smear on the ground! I don't want to live like that, I can't! Please, set me free! Make sure there's nothing left!"

"No!" Orion responded coldly, lowering his spear. "I'm not going to put you down. You get to live with what you've done just like everyone else! You don't get out of it that easily!"

As he started to walk away, the Rangers surrounded him.

"Orion..."

"We don't need him." Orion stated. "Let him make his own way, just like I had to."

Where he was kneeling on the ground, Marv reached for his sword, gripping it. Orion and the Rangers all turned to him, hearing the metal of his sword scraping against the asphalt as he started to get up.

"Orion, please...!" He begged once more.

"Marv, don't do this!" Emma begged him. "We can help...you can..."

"I'll make it easy for you!" Marv told him, powering up his blade. It started to glow white-hot as he started to trace the cross shape in the air. "If you want to stop me, you're going to have to destroy me!"

Orion shoved the other Rangers aside as he powered up his Legendary Attack once more. Marv screamed, before casting his attack forward. Orion fired off his own attack in response. As the two attacks slammed into each other, they struggled for position. Orion started to feel his feet slipping as he tried to hold on, struggling to keep himself from being incinerated.

Their eyes locked across the space as Orion's attack started to be driven back towards him. As he stared at him though, he could swear he saw him smiling.

Without warning, Marv threw open his arms, breaking off his attack, the energy holding off Orion's blast dissipating. The Rangers all watched as Orion's attack went straight through, slamming into Marv full force. He started to spark as he fell to his knees, looking straight at Orion. His face was one of relief as he smiled.

"I'm sorry." He whispered. "Thank you!" With that, he fell to the ground and exploding, leaving nothing of value behind. Orion powered down, completely exhausted, and fell to his knees as the others came to his side.

"Orion..." Emma's words were cut off as he let out a hellish scream, before breaking down in tears.

Up on The Armada Command Ship, Prince Vekar was pouring some more wine, shovelling down delicacies gathered from all corners of the empire with gusto as his cabinet celebrated their impending victory. Lavira was doing a mocking impression of the Red Galleon flying into the mountains with a dinner roll, raising laughs from all round the table. None of them took any notice as one of The Kingsmen entered the room.

"You, what do you want?" Prince Vekar scoffed at him, wiping tears of laughter from his face. "Can't you see...?"

"Your Highness...I have news of Argus." The Kingsman stated. "I am afraid it is not good news."

"What, did he get himself damaged again?" He asked. "Just send him to the lab for..."

"Your Highness...the Silver Ranger has destroyed him." The Kingsman interrupted him. "He is...gone."

"WHAT?" Prince Vekar screamed, getting up from the table, glaring at him in shock. "HOW?"

"Your Highness..."

"How dare they destroy my bodyguard?" He screamed. "I'm going to make them suffer for this! You, assemble a force and take them down to take care of the Rangers! I'm going to take the Megazord and wipe their city from the face of the Earth!"

As he left the room, Lavira watched him go, feeling her heart racing. She had never seen him so livid. He was on a mission to prove himself, and he was putting himself on the line. Before, she would have thought that with his Megazord and his new forces, the Rangers would never stand a chance, that he could never be defeated.

Of course, not so long ago, she would have said the same about Argus!


	13. Vekar's Warpath

On the Red Galleon, Jordan started to come to, finding himself in the medical bay. Tensou was watching over him, tending to his injuries. While the Galleon, and his powers had taken the brunt of the damage, he had still ended up pretty banged up. He groaned as he felt every inch of his body aching.

"It's at times like this; I REALLY miss my Robo Knight Armour." He muttered. While it did sacrifice some of the adaptability of the Ranger suits, the Robo Knight Armour did have a few advantages, not least of which was the ARMOUR in addition to the usual protective powers. Jordan couldn't count the number of times he'd gone through buildings with little more than superficial bruising.

"You need to lie down." Tensou told him. "You're in no condition to go anywhere."

"The others...we need to find..."

"We're already looking for them." Tensou informed him. "The ship's repaired itself enough to get airborne; we're already in the air. You just need to rest."

"OK, OK, I'll lie down, just stop..." His words tailed off as he thought of something. "Uh...Tensou?"

"What is it now?" Tensou asked him.

"Um...if we're both in here...who's flying the ship?" Jordan asked him.

On the ground, the Rangers had only just gotten to the edge of the city. Jake had, unfortunately, rendered the patrol car they'd been lent inoperable in their battle with Argus. It was a sacrifice he had to make to give Orion the space he needed to get his breath back, but it now meant that they were once again on foot, heading for the mountains.

"Rangers!" A Kingsman yelled as they arrived at the edge of the mountains. They all looked up, seeing three Kingsmen, backed up by no less than two dozen Bruisers...they didn't even want to know how many X-borgs were lined up behind THEM. The Rangers, exhausted, beaten, and weary, barely able to stand, faced them down.

"Oh, come ON!" Jake complained. "How many of these fuckers is he going to throw at us today?"

"Don't worry, we won't finish you off." One of the Kingsmen stated. "We're just here to soften you up while the Prince powers up his Megazord. He wants to finish you himself."

"And...things just keep getting better." Noah responded. "Without the Megazord..."

"We need to make this quick!" Gia told them, pulling out her morpher. "If the Prince is coming, we'll need everything we have left!"

Before they could morph though, there was a hail of fire, and around half the army fell, completely blown to smithereens. The Rangers all looked up in time to see the Red Galleon flying into view.

"Jordan!" Gia called out excitedly. "I hate to admit it, but I am glad to see you!"

"He couldn't have picked a better time for an eleventh hour save." Jake agreed.

Another salvo from the Red Galleon's cannon, and most of the army was gone. Only the Kingsmen were left. A figure swung down, through the dark on a grapnel, landing between the Rangers and the Kingsmen. He landed between them, and all the Rangers stood, staring at the arrival. All of them stood, completely stunned by his arrival. Emma started to tear up.

"Troy?" She asked, beholding the man she loved, standing only a few feet in front of her, staring down his opponents. He held up a hand.

"You've all done well, rest up." Troy declared. "I'll take care of them. I'll need you on top form soon."

"Troy, those aren't just bruisers!" Gia called out. "They're so much more powerful!"

"They're not the only ones." Troy answered. With that, he broke into a run, straight at them.

He ducked under the spears of the first two as they swung for him, rolling through, back to his feet, and hit the other with a massive flying kick, sending it backwards. He turned to face the other two.

"You think you have a chance?" They asked. "You think an ordinary human..."

"Who said anything about me being ordinary?" Troy asked, flipping out the Red Morpher. His first attack was just to gauge their strength. Since it didn't even fall, he knew he needed to morph. Fortunately, he had retrieved his morpher from Jordan when he rescued him in the mountains. He transformed into the Red Corsair Ranger, levelling his sword their way. "One chance to leave...that's all you get!"

They prepared their weapons to fire power blasts, but Troy launched into a backward somersault, their blasts flying underneath him and destroying the third, who was rushing from behind, trying to impale Troy while his back was turned. The Red Ranger landed and faced them.

"If you're going to attack from behind, try to be quieter about it." He stated with a smirk. "Now, it's just the two of you!"

He ran forward, firing his pistol, evading return fire on his way, before launching into the first, slashing across him in motions so fast, the other Rangers could barely see it. In the last, the blade had powered up, and it sliced him clean in half. It was only then that they saw a Ranger Key in the Power Lock.

"Holy crap, how did he...?" Gia started to stammer.

"I guess he wasn't kidding when he said he was going to train." Noah said, his mouth hanging open. "I only saw like...five hits...and I never even saw him put the key in the lock!"

Troy was already on the last Kingsman, battling with him ferociously. The robot managed to send his pistol flying, but in response, Troy managed to slice off the hand holding its spear, literally disarming it. As he tried for a kick though, it caught his leg with its one free hand.

"That was careless Red Ranger!" The Kingsman told him. "The Prince only said he wanted your friends! I am sure he'll be delighted to know..."

Troy just tapped the side of his leg, at which the lower half of it disappeared. He then jumped straight up, slamming his one remaining leg into its chest, knocking it flying several feet. He kipped up back to his leg, and started hopping quickly towards it. He threw his Sabre at it as it tried to get up, cutting off its other arm, before diving forward. He snatched up his pistol, turning a key in the lock and levelling it at the robot. It stared straight down the battle.

"Oh, and in case you just missed it," Troy said, before pulling the trigger, blowing its head to smithereens, "a one legged man just beat you in an ass-kicking contest!"

As he de-morphed, his prosthetic re-appearing in place, the others rushed to his side. Emma threw her arms around him, overjoyed to see him return. She couldn't even bring herself to say anything. She just held him.

"Troy!" Jake screamed. "Dude, you...you're back!"

"Your timing could not be more welcome!" Gia agreed. "And that...that was incredible!"

"I've been working hard." He told them. "Now, we can catch up later, check it out!"

They all watched as a familiar white streak descended through the sky. Troy gestured to the Galleon.

"Everyone suit up, we still have work to do!" He told them.

Prince Vekar landed in his Megazord, right in the centre of Harwood.

"Rangers, you have defied me for too long!" He announced over the loud hailer. "Destroying Argus was the last straw! Now the whole city will pay for your insolence!"

"You've done enough damage Vekar!" Troy declared as the Megazord landed, swords drawn, facing off against The Armada Megazord. "It's time to choose, live or die, I really don't care which!"

"You think that thing scares me?" Vekar declared. "I already defeated it once at full strength! This time, I'm going to turn it into scrap!"

Before he could attack though, he was blind-sided as Orion arrived in the Q-Rex Zord, raking his drill downward as he landed. He faced off against Vekar.

"You again?" Prince Vekar screamed. "You all continue to oppose me, even when you already know it's hopeless?"

"After what you did to Andresia, you don't deserve to live!" Orion snarled. Vekar just laughed as he smashed into his Zord, knocking it to the ground.

"Oh, that...don't you realise that was just another day for us?" Vekar asked him. "It was nothing personal! Besides, you give me too much credit for that. It was my father that had your planet destroyed!"

He stood before them as the two Zords faced him. Both of them were already damaged, and hadn't had time to effect full repairs. He just snorted.

"You can hit me with everything you've got, it won't make a difference!" He declared. "I will prove once and for all that I am the rightful heir to the universe!"

"You know what, that sounds like an idea." Troy said, pulling out the Mystic Red Key. "Let's blitz him!"

"Troy, that will..."

"Trust me! It'll work!" He interrupted Gia. "Mystic Dragon, Mystic Spell Seal!"

The Mystic Dragon flew into view, beginning to enact its spell. Vekar just laughed.

"Is that all you've got?" He asked, throwing aside the arms of his Zord, ripping the magical binds apart.

"Not quite!" Jake added. "Ninja Storm, Shuriken!"

The Minizord launched its shuriken attack, but Prince Vekar powered up his chest beam, blasting them apart before they got to him.

"Oh come on, did you think that would work?" He asked, firing his Armada Arrows at the two Megazords. The Rangers struggled to keep them standing.

"Activating Turbo Falcon!" Troy announced as it broke through the dimensional barrier, blasting at Vekar's Zord. He shrugged off its blaster fire, and smashed it out of the air, sending it spinning back towards them.

"This is getting sad now, how many of your toys do you want me to break?" He taunted them. "Face it, I win, you lose!"

"Not quite, you see...there are two things you don't know about Megazords...the first is that they are powered by the pilot! That means the longer a Zord is in use, the more power you use, the more the pilot is weakened by the battle!"

"And we've just forced you to take on a whole fleet of Zords single-handed!" Noah told him. Troy pulled out his Ranger Key, which started to glow.

"Now guys, time to show you something else I picked up!" He told them. "Ultimate Megazord Combination!"

The Rangers all watched as their own Corsair Keys started to glow. They followed Troy's lead, turning them in the power locks. Before they knew what was happening, the Q-Rex, the Megazord and the Turbo Falcon had all joined. They watched the power levels surging through the roof on their consoles.

"Troy...how did...?"

"Let's just say I had a teacher who really showed me what I can do!" He interrupted Emma. "Now, let's take him down!"

"What...what's happening?" Prince Vekar screamed as he saw the jump in their energy levels, which now eclipsed his own! He realised to his horror Troy had been telling the truth, his own Zord was using power the whole time, his power levels were falling, and continuing to fall, but with the new combination, the Rangers had gained a significant power boost. "No! This can't be! I was so close to proving myself to my father!"

He steeled himself, facing down the Rangers as they came towards him.

"These stupid readings have to be wrong...I am the most powerful being IN THE UNIVERSE!" He roared. The Rangers fired missiles at him, but by now he couldn't dodge their attacks anymore. His Zord was taking heavy damage with every hit. A strike from their drill knocked out a lot of his support systems. Vekar looked horrified as his control console started to explode all around him. His instruments weren't wrong, he was...and in his arrogance, he couldn't conceive that he was about to lose everything!

"Let's finally rid the Earth of this creep!" Troy declared. "Final Strike!"

Vekar could only watch as the Megazord's fist flew straight into him. The Zord went into critical mass, and collapsed to the ground, becoming engulfed in a series of explosions. Orion got up from his seat.

"Orion, it's over!" Jake told him.

"We need to be sure!" Orion yelled. "I'm not letting him get away! He's not getting a chance to hurt anyone else!"

"Orion, come back!" Gia called, but he had already bailed out. The other Rangers followed him, ending up on the ground by the burning wreckage of Vekar's Megazord. Orion started to make his way towards it.

"Orion, it's over!" Troy told him. "He's..."

"I need to be sure!" Orion screamed, throwing off his helmet. "I need to see for myself! I need to know!"

Just then, some of the wreckage started to move. They all watched as Vekar started to climb out, heavily injured, bleeding badly, and most of his body burned. He tumbled down the wreckage as his strength failed him.

"No, freaking WAY!" Jake murmured. "How could anyone survive that?"

Orion gripped his Silver Spear, and started to stride towards the Prince, his face a mask of pure hatred. Vekar saw him coming, but he didn't even have the strength to get up. He held up a hand.

"Please, have mercy!" He begged him.

"You, who have visited so much suffering, who's done so much evil...now have the nerve to ask for MERCY?" Orion screamed at him.

"Please, I'll do anything!" He begged, tears running down his face. Troy stopped the others as they were about to approach Orion. Killing someone in the heat of battle was one thing, what happened with Marv had obviously upset him, but even then, Marv attacked him. This...this was no act of war. This was a helpless foe, broken and defeated.

"We know why you want to do this Orion, believe me. You may have more reasons than most to put this scum out of his misery. Every one of us has plenty of reason to want the same, in fact we all do." Troy told him. "We won't stop you Orion, it's up to you!"

Orion knew what they were saying, but none of that mattered. All he could see were the corpses he had buried with his own two hands...thousands of them...men, women, children...tears ran down his face as he gripped his Silver Spear tightly and raised it up.

"See you in Hell Vekar!" He yelled. Before he could strike though, he was blasted backwards. The Rangers all went to his side, and watched as Vrak stepped out of the shadows, heading towards his fallen brother.

"Shit! What now?" Jake asked. They all watched as Vrak helped his brother to his knees.

"Thank you my brother." Prince Vekar said in relief. Vrak smiled at him, and drew in closer.

"Long live the King." He said menacingly. Vrak's eyes suddenly went wide in horror as Vrak raised his weapon. With one last scream, the Rangers watched as Vrak brought it down. Vekar fell silent, at which Vrak tossed his corpse aside. He turned to the Rangers.

"Oh my God...he just...he murdered his own brother!" Emma gasped.

"It was all part of my plan all along. You did me a favour Rangers." He told them. "You see, my baby brother was first in line to the throne. Now...I am the true heir!"

"Wait...heir?" Gia asked.

"Don't you think it's a little odd my brother, in all his arrogance always called himself 'Prince'?" He asked them. "He was to inherit once the Emperor died. Now...that goes to me."

"Wait...how could your father still be alive?" Jake asked. "You murdered him to appease The Warstar!"

"Oh...that...you see, Malkor's orders were...not very specific." He told them. "He told me to bring me my father's heart, and that's exactly what I did. The reason my younger brother was the heir and I was passed over...we shared a mother, we did NOT share a father!"

"So that's what he meant when he kept calling you a bastard!" Troy concluded. "It wasn't an idle insult, he meant it literally! You wouldn't inherit because being born of pure blood, your brother was first in line!"

"But that is no longer the case. Now, all I have to worry about is telling dear old dad that his precious baby is gone." Vrak declared. "You did me a favour today Rangers, and for that, I'm letting you leave with your lives.

As he started to leave, he paused.

"Oh, and Pink Ranger?" He said. "You might want to hurry home."

"DAD!" She screamed in horror, before turning and running. The other Rangers went with her, leaving Vrak to leave the scene.

Up on The Armada Command Ship, Lavira let out a cry of anguish as news reached her of Vekar's fate. They had no footage from the ground, but they had seen enough to know that the Megazord had been destroyed. They had performed scans, and could find no trace of Prince Vekar's life signatures. She leaned over the console, weeping for the man she loved.

"The Prince's demise is a tragedy, one that has touched all of our hearts." Damaras stated. Lavira was still crying, but she could feel anger rising in her. She knew that Damaras didn't respect the Prince in the slightest. "We will avenge him as the first order of business."

"There's no need to pretend anymore!" She sneered. "Give up the act Damaras, you finally got what you wanted!"

"Indeed we did." Vrak declared as he walked in the door. Lavira had suspected for a long time that Damaras was disloyal, but now, seeing Vrak on the ship in front of her DIRECTLY after his brother's death, the enormity of the betrayal finally dawned on her.

"You...you both planned this all along!" She shrieked.

"You catch on quickly." Vrak said with a smile. "Oh...and since my brother never DID get around to that wedding...that puts you right back to being a glorified grease monkey."

"You think so?" She snapped. "Well, let's see how you feel when I execute you BOTH for treason! Over-ride Alpha, 28081993! Droids, kill the traitors!"

Vrak and Damaras just stared at her, unfazed. Lavira looked around, realising none of the droids were moving.

"Kill the traitors!" She screamed. Again, nothing happened. Vrak approached her, cradling her chin with his hand.

"Oh, that secret weapon of yours, that little over-ride code? I de-programmed it." He told her. "X-borgs, take Lavira back to her lab. Perhaps some work will keep her mind off her bereavement."

With that, Lavira was flanked by a couple of X-borgs. She realised the position she was in, and submitted, leaving the room. She was now trapped on a ship full of droids that were ultimately loyal to the heir to the throne...and that was Vrak!


	14. Vrak's Knight

**A/N:** First off...I have to say, I absolutely LOVED Vrak is Back! Those two episodes were probably the best of the whole season to date! However, due to more than a few alterations in my universe, I'm basically going to be doing almost a complete re-write. Hope you enjoy it.

Emma's heart was pounding like a jackhammer, and her lungs felt like they were going to explode in her chest as they finally got into the street her house was on. They were all already exhausted from the day's battles with Vekar, but once they had seen Vrak, given his warning, she was desperate to get home.

He hadn't told her what to expect when she got there, his threat really wasn't specific, but that only made it all the worse. Emma's tears were running down her face as her subconscious came up with all sorts of images of what Vrak could have done, each one more horrible than the last. His words echoed in her mind over and over.

"Oh, and Pink Ranger? You might want to hurry home!"

There was a brief moment of relief as they saw that the house didn't APPEAR to be damaged, at least, not in any significant way, but Emma wouldn't stop until she stumbled through the door. Gia was right behind her. When they got there, the Living Room was a mess; there were definite signs of a struggle. The only things that looked like they had been put back in place were the couch, and a coffee table. Louise, Gia's mom was sitting on the couch, facing the door. She had obviously returned from the office some time after they had left.

"MOM!" Gia called out. Louise just gave her a look to warn her to keep her distance, and held up a hand. It was only then that they saw she had something strapped to her chest. It was a device, which looked like a pretty non-descript metal box, but the warning printed on it, 'This side towards Enemy' tipped them off as to what it was. It was a claymore mine! They looked up as Wayne came into the room, carrying a glass of scotch. His clothes were messed up, and from the looks of his face, he had been in a tough fight very recently. He looked to the Rangers as they arrived.

"Hi...your mom looked like she needed a rest when she got home, so I asked her to have a seat." He told them. "You understand if she doesn't get up."

"Wayne, what are you doing?" Gia asked him. "What happened here?"

"Vrak needed me to do something for him." He told them.

"You're still buying anything that guy sells you?" Jake asked him. "Man, I used to think you were smart!"

"Where's my dad?" Emma asked him. Wayne just looked to her.

"He's safe." He told her. "How long that's the case is all down to you."

"You BASTARD!" Emma screamed, lunging for him. She managed to hit a couple of punches, before the others pulled her off him. Her anger was understandable, but right now it wasn't helpful.

"Emma, hold on." Troy told her, before glaring at Wayne. "What did you do?"

"I made a bargain with Vrak..."

"He's still trying to sell you that bullshit that he can fix your son?" Jake asked him. Wayne just looked at Jake.

"More than that, he's done it!" He told them. "In fact, you'll be seeing him VERY soon. All I need is one thing from you. I need...him."

They all looked around as he pointed at Orion. The Silver Ranger just looked a little surprised.

"Me?" Orion asked. "Vrak wants me?"

"The Silver Ranger comes with me, and Eric will be sent home safe and sound." Wayne responded. "I'll need an answer soon by the way. He's not patient."

"Guys..."

"Orion, no!" Troy stated. "We can't ask you to..."

"You're not asking." He told them. He hadn't known Eric really; he'd only met him that day. Indeed, their last conversation was somewhat tense, considering he threatened to kill him after he found him attacking Jake. Orion could already see the kind of person Eric was, and why he was so important to Gia and Emma. He pulled out his morpher and his Ranger Key, and was about to hand them to Troy.

"Oh, and he asked you bring those." Wayne told him. Orion looked to the others.

"I know you'll figure out something." He told them. Wayne just finished his drink and pulled out a communicator.

"Vrak, I've got him." He told him, as he grabbed Orion's arm.

"WAYNE!" Gia called out. He stopped for a moment, just looking at her. "If anything happens to Eric, or Mom, there won't be anywhere far enough for you to run!"

"If I were you, I'd be more worried about myself right now." Wayne answered. "Say hi to Mikey for me."

With that, they disappeared in a flash of light. As soon as they left, Gia looked to Noah.

"Noah, can you get that thing off my mom?" She asked him.

"It should be pretty straightforward." He told her, going over and inspecting it carefully. Wayne had obviously wired it up to stop Louise getting out of the chair, to give the Rangers a distraction while he convinced Orion to go with him. Given the dangerous technology he had worked with before, it was a lot simpler. "OK Mrs Moran, just try not to move..."

He saw the death-glare she gave him.

"Right...sorry, silly thing to say." He conceded, pulling out some tools. The others went into the kitchen to give him some space to work. Gia took Emma in her arms, holding her tightly, while Troy put a hand comfortingly on her back. For once, even Jake found it hard to see the light in this situation.

In Vrak's underwater base, Orion and Wayne arrived, appearing in a bright flash. Orion could see Eric, bloodied and battered, lying on the floor. His hands were shackled behind his back.

"Eric!" He yelled, but he didn't get a response. He turned on Wayne. "How could you?"

"It wasn't easy, I'll give him that." Wayne admitted, gesturing to his injuries. "If he hadn't had one of his little 'cardiac episodes', he probably would have beaten me.

"He was your friend!" Orion screamed at him. Wayne just pulled out his pistol, levelling it at Eric.

"And trust me, that made it harder, but if I can do that to him, just think what I'm willing to do to get Mikey back." He told him. He pointed to some equipment in the corner. Orion looked at it, seeing two beds, connected by a computer of some description. On one of the beds was the inert form of the Robo Knight. "Get in."

"Your son...?"

"Get in the bed!" He commanded Orion. The Silver Ranger pointed to Eric.

"Let him go first!" He demanded. The only reason he had gone with Wayne was to get Eric home safely.

"Get in the bed!" Wayne reiterated. Orion saw the desperation in his eyes. He had given up everything for his son, something Orion could completely understand. He saw that he still had the gun trained on Eric, and reluctantly headed over to the bed, getting into it. He slid his wrists and ankles into straps, which tightened around them, holding him in place. Wayne took his morpher from his pocket, putting it into the control console, and started to tap some keys.

"Just try to relax." He told him. "Vrak said it should only hurt for a minute...probably."

With that, Orion felt needles driving upwards out of the bed, plunging into his back. His eyes rolled into the back of his head, and everything faded to black.

Back at the Goodall place, Gia was in the Living Room, with her arm around her mother. Louise could only stare at the claymore mine that Noah had moved to the coffee table after disarming.

"Would you mind...getting that thing out of here please?" Louise asked him.

"Oh, you don't need to worry, now I've put the safety pin back..." His words tailed off as Gia glared at him, flicking her eyes in the direction of the door. "Right...I'll just get this out of here."

He picked it up, carrying it out of the room. He really didn't know what he was going to do with it, thinking he couldn't just leave it lying around in the street or anything, but it was clear that Louise would be a lot more comfortable if it was taken as far from her as possible. All things considered, she had a point.

"Mom, are you alright?" Gia asked.

"I'm fine, he didn't hurt me." She assured Gia. "I came home and I found the place like this. Wayne was waiting..."

She covered her face with her hands.

"Eric...he said he would kill him if I did anything!" She whimpered. "How could he do this to us? He's been in this house! I've had dinner with him more times than I could count!"

"Vrak's using his desperation to manipulate him." Troy told her. "You know he'd never do anything like this if he thought he had a choice."

"So the question is, what do we do now?" Jake asked. Troy just sighed.

"There's not much we can do until Vrak makes a move." He answered honestly.

"Wait...Vrak went after Emma's dad...he knows who we are!" Jake pointed out. Suddenly, the same horrible thought dawned on all of the Rangers.

"Find Noah; tell him to check in on his parents and Quinn." Troy told him. "I'll find my folks and Ernie, you find your parents and Allison. Bring them all here; at least if they're in one place, we'll be able to keep tabs on them. Emma, Gia...stay with Louise! We'll be back soon!"

With that, they ran out of the room. Louise could see Emma pacing, and just gestured to her to come over, letting her sit next to her. She didn't say a word, just holding her and Gia warmly. The man she loved was missing, right now; she needed to keep the rest of her family close.

Back at Vrak's underwater base, Eric was starting to come round. His hands were shackled behind him. He managed to push himself up to a seated position as his vision started to return to normal. He saw Wayne standing by the console, working on something. As he squinted, he could see two figures lying on beds either side of them. One of them was the Robo Knight...after a moment, he realised the other was Orion. Energy was glowing around them, while Wayne checked on the displays.

"I was starting to worry; it never used to take you that long to come round." Wayne commented. He pulled out a bottle of medication. "It wasn't easy, but I managed to get you a couple of these after..."

"Wayne, what the hell?" Eric asked him. "You attacked me in my own home...then you give me my meds?"

"Eric...I didn't want to do it, I know none of this was your fault!" Wayne assured him. "Believe me, I tried to suggest other ways Vrak could get the Silver Ranger, but he told me he'd only help me if..."

"Wayne, you sided with Vrak?" He asked him. "You sold out?"

"I didn't have a CHOICE!" He protested. "He was the only one that could bring Mikey back!"

"The Rangers are the only ones that stopped The Armada destroying the planet months ago!" Eric replied. "You sold us out!"

Before he could say anything, Vrak appeared in a flash of light. He looked at Eric, looking a little surprise.

"Oh...you're still alive." He said in an off-hand way. "Well, that was unexpected. I see you've got the Silver Ranger hooked up already Wayne."

"It wasn't too hard." He replied. "Once they heard I had Eric, he pretty much came without a fight."

Vrak looked to the console, and smiled.

"Well Wayne, you've really outdone yourself." Vrak stated, throwing a switch. The restraints holding down the Robo Knight released, and he sat up slowly. As he stood up off the bed, his armour retracted into him. Wayne's eyes started to tear up.

"Dad?" Spider asked. Wayne just ran to him, grabbing him in a tight hug.

"Mikey!" He responded, parting from him. "It's...it's really you?"

"Dad, what happened...I feel...I feel incredible!" Spider told him.

"I powered up the Robo Knight, reprogramming it using the energy of the Silver Ranger." Vrak told him. "Not only has it reversed the damage done to your mind, but the Robo Knight has given you tremendous power, more than enough for you to settle a few...old scores."

"I'm...I'm the Robo Knight?" He asked. Vrak just nodded.

"Well, aside from a few alterations." He told him. "After all, I want to make sure you're on the right side. Now, if you'd be so kind...punch your father."

Mikey turned around and punched Wayne in the face, catching him completely off-guard. From the way he stared at his hands, he obviously had no idea why he had done it.

"DAD!" He called out, before looking to Vrak. "What have you done?"

"Now the Robo Knight is under my complete control...and the Robo Knight is inside you." Vrak told him. "You will be unable to disobey a single command."

"You BASTARD!" Wayne screamed. "You said you'd give me back my son!"

"When I'm done with him." Vrak said with a smirk. "Now Mikey, I want you to go into the city, and destroy the Power Rangers. Do not summon your armour until you see them, and let them see you."

"Yes Lord Vrak." He replied as Vrak hit a command, teleporting him out of the underwater base. He then went to Eric, and unlocked his manacles, releasing his hands.

"Well, now that's dealt with, there's only one more thing I want from you, and then when your son finishes with the Rangers, I'll release him to return to you."

He handed Wayne a knife, and patted him on the shoulder.

"Try not to take all night about it." He replied. In a flash, both Wayne and Eric found themselves back in Harwood, in a street far from the Goodall house. Eric just looked to Wayne.

"Wayne...what have you done?" He asked. Wayne looked to him, tears running down his face.

"I'm sorry Eric." He stated. "I...I don't have a choice!"

"Well don't think I'll make it easy for you!" Eric told him, his fists balling up. "You want me dead; you're going to have to work for it!"

Back at the Goodall place, the Rangers had assembled all their loved ones in the house. It was a bit of a squeeze, but their families were all so delighted to see them that it didn't take much to convince them to go with them. Quinn and the Carvers were talking to Noah, continually squeezing his arms and gesturing to his muscles. They could see the huge difference in him from the scrawny kid that never used to stand up straight. Jake's parents seemed to have him in a hug that they wouldn't release, like they were scared he would leave again if they let him go. Jake was holding Allison's hand as she smiled up at him. Troy had only seen his parents that morning, so he didn't really have much to catch up on. Ernie had commandeered the kitchen and was making sure everyone had hot drinks.

They heard a loud bang from the street, and all looked around. The Rangers all filed out of the door, seeing a single figure standing before them. As he stepped into the light of a street lamp, they recognised him.

"Spider!" Noah called out. He had never liked the guy, mainly because at the time he knew him, he was going out with Emma and Noah had a monster crush on her at the time, but it wasn't like any of them didn't have plenty of reasons not to like him. Not only had he tried to blow up the local chemical plant as an eco-terrorist, he had also been turned into a monster once before.

"Lord Vrak gave me an order." He told them. With that, his armour formed up around him. Troy just looked to the others as he flipped out his morpher.

"Alright guys, let's get Jordan's armour back." He stated as they morphed.


	15. Weapon of Last Resort

On The Armada Command Ship, Lavira was in her laboratory, but for once, she wasn't working. Although, strictly speaking no one had used terms like 'confinement' or prisoner, she was under no false impressions that now, the ship was not a safe place for her. While the Prince was alive, she enjoyed a lot of freedoms on the ship. She was technically below Damaras in the command structure, but the Prince tended to value her advice and her counsel just as much as his, even before they had begun a relationship.

When their relationship began, she had been elevated to a level far beyond what she was used to. She was, to all intents and purposes, as important as Vekar himself. No one would dare to defy her, knowing that if she even mentioned it to the Prince, he would see them punished. When she joined the crew all those years ago, she never would have dreamed that she would find herself in the position of almost becoming the Queen of the entire empire!

Unfortunately for her though, they had never gotten around to getting married. While they were all but married, once even going so far as to BEGIN a ceremony, the fact that they never exchanged vows and signed the register meant that she was, as far as the Empire was concerned, still just a servant. The laws of succession made it quite clear that since Vekar, the first in line to the throne was now dead; the line of succession would pass to the next in line. The Emperor had no more legitimate children, so normally the line would pass to other relatives, nephews and suchlike. However, there was another option. Although he was illegitimate, a fact that Vekar had delighted in reminding Vrak throughout his life, crowing about the fact that although Vrak was actually the first born, HE would take the throne, now Vrak was the next in line. He had just been elevated to Prince, meaning that now the ship, the fleet belonged to him.

She had little doubt that he had engineered her beloved Vekar's fate. She wouldn't even be surprised if he had murdered him himself. If the Emperor was here, if he had any reason to believe that Vrak was responsible, she had little doubt that heir or not, he would annihilate him, but there was simply no proof. She had tried to enact her vengeance herself, but that was when she found out that Vrak had somehow found and disabled her over-ride code. One of the things that gave her so much freedom was the fact that she had nothing to fear from the droids and weapons aboard the ship. She could turn all of them to her will any time she wanted. Now though, that wasn't an option. If Vrak was to order them to attack her, there would be nothing she could do about it. She now only lived as long as Vrak willed it, and she had a feeling that right now, he delighted in her misery.

As she looked among the monitors in her lab, she noticed something unusual. Surveillance to one of the hangars had been disabled. She just sighed as she went to the computer and tried to bring it back up. Grieving or not, she was still the ship's Chief Engineering Officer, and she was certain that Vrak would just relish any opportunity to call her out on failing in her duties.

As she tapped some keys though, she couldn't bring it round. After trying another command, she furrowed her brows as she saw something odd. There was nothing wrong with the surveillance, the infrastructure, the technology was still there, and still functioning. She pulled up another command and confirmed her suspicion that the surveillance had been voluntarily disabled. She entered her password, only to find that it had been changed. She could not access the feed.

"What are you up to?" She asked herself, getting up and heading for the door. She went towards the hangar, avoiding patrols where she could. The patrols of the corridors were a lot more frequent here than normal, but as the Chief Engineer, Lavira knew every inch of the ship intimately. It was a simple matter to avoid the patrols.

She got to the door, and tried to open it, but again, her access had been revoked. She just snorted as she pulled out a tool kit.

"Do you really think this will keep me out?" She asked dismissively. She pried off the control panel, accessing the circuits. Working the wiring briefly, the door slid open, allowing her inside.

As she made her way inside, she marvelled at what she saw. Three devices, which looked a lot like drills were standing on end in the hangar. She knew exactly what they were, she had designed them, but it had been a long time since any had been deployed. They were Planet Busters. It was a Weapon of Mass Destruction designed to drill into the ground, and detonate at the core of a planet, literally tearing it apart. It was a weapon of last resort that The Armada rarely used. What was the point in conquering a planet when its resources were lost forever to the void of space. She heard someone coming and hid behind some support struts. She had just managed to get out of sight as Vrak, Damaras, and a couple of Kingsmen came into the room. It galled Lavira to see that Vrak had attached a deep, violet cloak to his cybernetic armour, both marking his new position and also aping his brother's grandiose and regal style. Damaras looked up at the Planet Busters in disbelief.

"Your Highness...are you certain about this?" Damaras asked him. Vrak just smiled.

"I am not as arrogant and sentimental as my brother. I know when an investment has gone badly." He told him. "We have already wasted far too many resources on this planet. The cost of the materials we've wasted alone is a testament to my brother's recklessness."

"But Your Majesty...we still don't know what resources, what treasures we could glean from..."

"Damaras, I was on the planet for most of the last year." Vrak reminded him. "While I cannot deny it would have been a rich prize, the fact is I sincerely doubt that anything we find there will justify the time and resources my brother has wasted on it. It is time to cut our losses."

"Then...the Robo Knight?" Damaras asked him. He looked to Damaras.

"A distraction." He insisted.

"And the Pink Ranger's father?" He asked. Vrak just smiled.

"Well, I have to entertain myself SOMEHOW until these weapons do their work." He responded. With that, they left the Hangar.

Lavira came out of her hiding place, unable to believe what she had just heard. Vrak had entered an Endgame, one that none of them would ever have anticipated. She was still under the impression that they intended to take over the world, not destroy it. If they had wanted that, they could have deployed the Planet Busters months ago! To imagine that he would do so now, it caused something in her to stir. While she hadn't been the most sociable person on the ship, she had met most of the Commanders. Some of them had been friends. Then there was Vekar, the man she had pledged to spend the rest of her life with. All of them would still be alive. If they destroyed the planet now, then all those who had died in the invasions would have given up their lives for nothing.

As she came out of her hiding place, making sure no one was around; she headed over to the Planet Busters to get a closer look.

Down in Harwood, the Rangers were locked in battle with the newly empowered Robo Knight. Mikey threw himself at them with a dangerous power, one they knew all too well. The Robo Knight was a powerful weapon, individually stronger than any single Ranger. They also had the added complication that they knew that Mikey was inside the armour. While he had done plenty of bad things in his life, it wasn't as though they felt they had any real right to execute him for any of those things. His crimes in no way matched the suffering he had gone through. His months of crippling insanity, inflicted by Gosei had been what had led them to this place now.

None of them was able to really unleash on Mikey, something which made the whole battle a lot tougher. However, it wasn't as though they didn't have a couple of things going in their favour. The first was experience. While Mikey had gotten himself into some violent scrapes in his time as a result of his acts of eco-terrorism, it wasn't as though he was any kind of soldier. He hadn't dedicated himself to training the same way the others had, and this was, as far as anyone was aware, the first time he had used the Robo Knight technology.

Right now, their chief tactic was basically to avoid him for the most part, to redirect his clumsy strikes and use his own momentum against him. While the Robo Knight was resilient, it wasn't indestructible, and sooner or later, he would exhaust its energy. If it took all day, they were determined to wear him down enough to try and bring him down without harming Mikey too much.

"Hold STILL will you?" Mikey screamed as he ran for Jake. The Green Ranger parried his blow, rolling over Mikey's back as he guided him past him, giving him a hard kick up the backside for good measure just to infuriate him. He snarled in frustration as he picked up a car, turning towards them. He threw it straight at Noah. The Blue Ranger quickly assessed where it was going to land, and figuring it wasn't going to hit anything that would put innocent lives at stake, he just leapt out of the way. "Damn it, stand STILL!"

"Yeah, because THAT'S going to happen." Gia responded sarcastically, swinging two sabres on the cable whips. Mikey tried in vain to block them, but they rebounded off his armour, sparking as they did so. He finally managed to grab them, starting to pull Gia towards him, but she just knelt down, at which Emma launched off her back, blasting into him with twin blasters, knocking him backwards. The team all assembled before him.

"You can't win Mikey; we've been doing this far too long." Troy told him. "I know you can't disobey Vrak, but at least you can make this less painful on yourself. We're not going to let you hurt any innocents!"

"What makes you think that these people are so innocent?" Spider snapped at him. "That plant is STILL STANDING! We produce more toxic waste and spent nuclear fuel every year!"

"Those are our problems, and we need to work on them." Troy agreed.

"We've had DECADES to work on them!" Spider argued. "These aliens, they...they want the planet! They want to take it from us, what's to say that they won't treat it better than we do?"

"We are sure he's meant to be sane right?" Noah asked. "Come off it Spider, you've seen what these guys have done, the innocents they've killed, what makes you think they give a damn about the planet?"

"Who tries to steal something if they don't value it?" Spider asked them. Just then, they all looked up as they heard a roar from overhead. They all looked up to see three massive objects streaking towards the Earth. They all struggled to remain standing as they slammed into the ground in three different points across the city.

"What the...?"

"I guess now we know what they want with the planet." Troy stated, staring at Spider.

"What...they...?"

"They attacked another planet before, a planet called Andresia!" Gia told him. "It's the planet Orion comes from! You know Orion right? The guy that was taken to wake you up?"

"They decided there wasn't anything they wanted on his planet." Emma told him. "So they just destroyed EVERYTHING! They wiped them all out!"

"They don't care about this planet or anyone on it; they only care about what they can get from us!" Jake told him. Just then, he clutched the sides of his head. He fell to his knees, crying out.

"OK, he isn't going to be reasoned with." Troy told the others. "You all go. Take the Zords and see if you can deal with those drills."

"But Troy..."

"Beating Spider won't mean anything if there isn't a planet left to defend." Troy interrupted Gia. "Get rid of the drills. I'll deal with Spider."

"Hey, Jordan, bring the Zords around!" Gia called into her communicator as they ran from the scene. Meanwhile, Troy just faced down Spider.

"You sent away your back-up?" Spider asked him. Troy just nodded.

"Let's see if that evens up the odds a little for you." He answered as Spider ran for him, gripping his sword tightly.

Gia and Jake were speeding towards the first drill, which had come to rest in the centre of the city. Gia's truck smashed through some vehicles which had been abandoned in the middle of the street, sending them spinning out of the way.

"Holy crap, that thing is huge!" Jake commented. "It'll tear up the whole city if that thing starts up!"

"So let's take care of it before it does!" Gia answered. "Open fire!"

They fired their weapons, which seemed to just rebound off its hull with no effect.

"Damn it, we didn't even dent it!" Jake complained. "Noah, how are you getting on?"

Jordan, Noah and Emma were heading out into the harbour, having been sent to deal with a drill that had come down in the sea. Noah's jet launched a couple of missiles which slammed into it, but he had to pull aside as he realised the drill was still in his path.

"Not a scratch!" He sighed. "Whatever these things are made of..."

Just then, his display started going haywire. He stared at it.

"Guys, my Zord...something weird is going on!" Noah stated.

"Something's going on with my Zord too!" Gia stated. "Wait...it's...its data...its information on those drills."

"Where's it coming from?" Emma asked.

"I don't know, but...it says they're not drills at all! They're some kind of planet buster weapon! They're trying to detonate the planet's core!" Jake called out.

"Guys, it's a full schematic." Noah told them. "And...it includes a weak spot!"

"Someone's telling us how to get rid of them?" Noah asked.

"I guess there's one way to find out!" Emma responded, setting up her targeting system. "Guys, wish me luck!"

She fired a missile from her Zord, which headed for the drill as it started to rotate. She gripped the controls, praying for a solid hit. As the missile hit home, it exploded. At first, nothing else happened, but then there was another explosion. In a chain reaction, the rest of the drill started to blow itself apart. Emma let out a huge yell of excitement.

"Guys, it works!" Emma told them. "Whoever sent us that information, its good!"

"Then start making your way to the third drill." Gia told them. "We'll take care of this one!"

Up on The Armada Command Ship, Vrak was watching events unfolding. He smashed his fist into the control console as the display told him that the second of his Planet Busters had been destroyed.

"Blasted Rangers! How could they have figured out my plan so quickly?" He roared.

"My Lord, we only have one Planet Buster left." Damaras told him. "We must protect it..."

"Never mind, I'll do it myself!" He replied, picking up his Cyber Rang. As he left the Bridge, Damaras just stood out of his way. He had backed Vrak in the war all along, but right now...he was finding it worrying to see him reacting this way. He couldn't help seeing a certain similarity to the late Prince Vekar.


	16. The Battle for the Drill

In the city of Harwood, at the bus depot, some people were assembling, carrying massive bags. Given all the recent monster activity centred on Harwood, many had come to the conclusion that the time had come to simply quit the city altogether. Like pretty much every Ranger city before them, the majority of the citizens had stayed. Some stayed out of loyalty, or the belief that victory was possible. Others stayed because, financially, they simply didn't have a choice! Once monster attacks started in a city, two things happened. Insurance costs sky-rocketed, and property values went down the toilet. No one wanted to buy a home they couldn't afford to insure in a city where it could get stepped on by a monster or blown up a week later! If they didn't want to just leave everything behind, and take their chances starting over elsewhere from square one, very quickly most didn't have a choice but to stay.

Now though, it wasn't hard to see why some were taking the second option. Dozens of families, possibly hundreds across the day, had turned up at the ferry port and the bus depots, carrying with them all that they were physically able to carry, and taking the first transport they could get a ticket on the hell out of town. Most of them hadn't made arrangements what they would do once they got out...many hadn't even CARED where they were going, simply opting for the first ticket they could get their hands on, taking their chances with finding somewhere to stay once they arrived.

It a horrendous scene, a mass exodus the likes of which most in a Western country would never believe they would see within their lifetime. The platforms were full of people and possessions. The trash cans were already full, and large piles of people's personal belongings were piling up as people went through their luggage, looking for things they could leave behind as the coaches started having to enforce limits on capacity, opting to take people over possessions. People who had already taken only what they could carry were now throwing out toys, photo albums, treasured items, all so they could keep a few more necessities like a few more clothes. A little girl was clutching tightly to her Pink Ranger doll, tears running down her face.

"NO!" She demanded. "I'm not throwing her out!"

"Sweetheart, I know it hurts, but you have to!" Her mother tried to reason with her. "We need all the space in your bag for clothes."

"I don't need clothes! I'm wearing clothes!" She protested. "I'm not letting her go! You can't make me!"

"Please, you have to be a big girl about this." She begged her daughter. "As soon as I can, I'll get you another doll, but right now, we need to leave it behind. We need to get on this bus; it's the last one out of town!"

"But why?" The girl whined. "The Rangers are here! Nowhere else has Rangers! Where will we be any safer than here?"

"Sweetie, nowhere else is being attacked like this." Her mother reminded her. She wiped away some of the little girl's tears. "We're just going to your Auntie Kelly's place in Ocean Bluff for a while. You remember her right? You always have fun at the beach don't you?"

The little girl still didn't seem convinced, but she knew that her mom had spent a lot of money on those tickets, and seemed adamant about leaving the city. She looked longingly to the doll, before handing it over with a sad little pout. Her mother kissed her as she took it.

"That's a big girl." She told her, before putting the doll on the top of a trash can. Just as she was turning back to her daughter, she saw something coming their way. She snatched up the girl, pulling her way just as Wayne and Eric tumbled through the glass partition, rolling around on the ground in their struggle. Eric kept a grip on Wayne's wrist, holding the knife Vrak had given him as far from him as he could. Both men threw blows into each other wherever they could, before eventually Wayne managed to get just enough room to cut Eric painfully across the arm. He rolled away to get some space, looking up at Wayne as he started to wave the knife around, darting in and out, trying to get another hit.

"Hey, where are the cops?" One guy yelled. "Those guys are trying to kill each other!"

"Stay back!" Eric called out to the people gathered around. He knew that the odds were the cops were already busy all over the city, and Wayne was desperate. He waited until he lunged forward, managing to whip off his cardigan, and use it to tangle up the knife. As he grappled with Wayne, he managed to get the leverage to shove him forward, ribs-first into a bench. He managed to whip the knife out of his hand, which then skidded under one of the buses. Wayne just looked to him as he realised he had been disarmed. "Let's see how you do when we're on even terms!"

Wayne didn't want to hurt his friend. He never did, but Vrak had told him it was the price he needed to pay for his son's freedom. He had hoped that at least with the knife, it would be quicker, less painful, but even in his weakened state; Eric was putting up a hell of a fight for his survival. He ran at him again, continuing his attack. Commuters did their best to keep out the way as the fight continued.

On a street, some way away, Troy was still battling with Spider, in his Robo Knight Armour. He was finding the battle nowhere near as simple now that the others had left to deal with the drills. He didn't know how they were doing, but right now, all he could focus on was the Robo Knight.

He managed to stay a step ahead of Mikey for the most part, but with only one opponent to focus on, instead of being able to be distracted by four others, he was able to channel all of his power against Troy. The Red Ranger knew the danger he was in. While he was certainly not a warrior on his level, the raw power of the Robo Knight meant he was in serious danger. If Spider managed to get his hands on him, he was all but done for.

Spider grabbed another car, launching it at Troy, who managed to dodge it. He looked to where it landed, slamming into a jeep in the drive-way of a house. He breathed a sigh of relief as he realised that because of its greater weight, and the fact the parking brake was on, it didn't get driven back far enough to damage the house. The family inside were safe.

"That is your weakness!" The Robo Knight declared. "You care for these people, more than you care for your own safety."

"I'm a defender of the Earth, just like the Robo Knight used to be!" Troy answered. "Just like the man under the armour CLAIMED to be!"

Robo Knight grabbed another car, and threw it, but this time, it was heading straight for a house. It was soaring so high there was no way anything was getting in its way. Troy leapt into the air, turning a Ranger Key in the Power Lock of his sabre, smashing the car into pieces before it could hit home. He saw another heading for the Goodall house, and managed to blow it to pieces with his pistol before it could cause any harm.

Unfortunately, this was all the distraction Robo Knight needed. He felt a strong pair of hands grip him, twisting his hands painfully, forcing him to drop his weapons. He looked straight into the Robo Knight's visor.

"My turn!" Robo Knight declared as he slammed him into the concrete.

Elsewhere, the Rangers were heading towards the third Planet Buster, which had already started to drill into the Earth. They knew that they didn't have long to act.

"Alright, we're close!" Jordan told them, clutching the controls of the Red Galleon. "I'm locking on and..."

His words tailed off as power blasts hit his ship. The Rangers could only watch as an Armada Ship came into view. It was a lot like the others they had seen, but this one was purple, and given the way the ship lurched, under the barrage, it seemed that this one was much more heavily armed.

"Rangers! You've foiled my plans for the last time!" Vrak declared over the intercom. "You may have destroyed two of my Planet Busters, but I only need one!"

"Jordan, assemble the Zords, use their power to back up the Galleon's weapons." Gia told him, beginning to get out of her harness. "We'll go in for a land assault!"

"Sure, make it sound easy." Jordan replied sarcastically as the Zords were recalled into the Red Galleon, boosting its powers. Gia led Noah, Jake and Emma as they ran for the Planet Buster, stopping a little way from it. They just stared up at it.

"It's already up to speed!" Emma stated.

"We need to shut it down, NOW!" Gia stated, summoning the Cannon. Jake just stared at it.

"OK, this is crazy." He commented. "It's already up to speed, how are we meant to hit the weak spot?"

"How are YOU meant to you mean?" Gia asked. They all looked to him as he gulped.

"M...m...me?" He stammered.

"You're the best shot!" Noah pointed out. "We might not get much of a window. We need to do everything we can to maximise our chances!"

"Alright." Jake murmured, taking the weapon in his hands. "But if I mess up and everyone dies, I better not hear any complaints!"

"Just don't mess up then!" Gia told him. Jake took the weapon as the Ranger Keys were loaded into it, and turned, beginning to power it up. He levelled it at the drill as the others assembled behind him, helping him brace. He aimed at the mechanism at the top, which was already spinning rapidly. The target lock blinked in and out as Jake tried to get a bead on it.

"The target lock...it can't lock on!" Jake told them. "It's moving too fast!"

"Then switch to manual!" Gia told him. Jake looked to her.

"You want me to aim manually?" He screamed.

"Believe in yourself Jake!" Emma told him. "We all do!"

Jake just hit the button, at which the targeting screen folded back down. He lifted the Cannon to his shoulder, looking along the length of it, and squinted. He could feel the sweat running down his face as he prepared to take his shot.

"Alright, just a little more." He stated. "I just need...a little..."

Just then, they were all blown off their feet by a massive explosion. The Cannon flew from his grip, skittering across the ground. Jake reached out for it, but a Cyber-Rang hit the weapon, sending it skittering further away. They all followed it as it returned to Cyber-Vrak's* hand!

"Vrak!" Gia roared.

"Rangers, you really have been like an irritating rash for far too long!" Vrak declared. "You have gotten in my way for the last time!"

"But...you were in that ship..."

"My Kingsmen are behind the controls. They will be more than enough to take care of your little Galleon." He sneered. "Meanwhile, my Planet Buster will take out your entire planet, and you with it!"

"But if you're down here, it'll take you out too!" Noah reminded him.

"I am aware of the risk; I just need to delay you." Vrak answered. "After all, in a few minutes, it will be far too late to destroy it. All I need is to delay you until then, and then abandon this worthless ball of rock to the oblivion!"

"Right guys, we know what we need to do." Gia responded as they brought out their weapons. "If we have to go through you, then so be it!"

With that, they rushed into battle, all the time knowing that the clock was ticking for the whole planet.

Back outside the Goodall Place, Troy was smashed from pillar to post as the Robo Knight swung him around like a baseball bat, smashing him through lamp posts, walls, and into the ground. Troy couldn't compete with his strength, something the Robo Knight knew. He kept a hold of him the whole time. Troy struggled to breathe as he finally released him, throwing him into the middle of the street. Troy pulled himself to his feet, only to find himself staring down the barrel of the Robo Knight's Vulcan Cannon. He couldn't dodge in time as he fired it, hitting him with the Knight Dynamic.

He de-morphed as he hit the ground, and his morpher slid away, hitting the kerb. The Robo Knight converted his weapon into blade mode, approaching him slowly.

"It's over Red Ranger!" He declared, levelling the blade his way. "Your time is..."

Troy caught him completely off-guard, shoulder-tackling him to the ground. Robo Knight had expected him to go for his morpher. It was a gamble Troy had made, thinking that with Mikey in the armour, he'd expect him to look for weapons as opposed to trying to take him on without them. Troy rolled back to his feet, the Robo Blade in his hand. As the Robo Knight got up, he threw it away.

"You threw away your weapon?" Robo Knight asked him. Troy just glared at him.

"I AM a weapon!" He declared. "Now, that armour doesn't belong to you! I want it BACK!"

The Robo Knight started to head towards him, at which Troy concentrated on his special training. He had been working on a lot since he had left the team. He started to glow brightly as he brought up the power within himself. As Robo Knight was about to strike, Troy let out a huge roar and punched him hard in the chest. There was a massive flash of energy which lit up the whole street. The Robo Knight's chest plate cracked, and it fell to the ground, lying inert. Troy made his way over, standing over it. He saw the Robo Knight's visor turn from black, back to its familiar red.

"T...T...Troy?" Spider asked. Troy looked down to him. "You...you..."

"Don't try to move." Troy told him as he dragged him to a car, propping him up in a seated position. "That last hit will have taken a lot out of you."

"I...I can't feel Vrak in my mind anymore." Spider told him. "What have I done?"

"Try not to worry about it right now." Troy told him. "Keep the armour for now, after that last hit, your body could use the help. We'll get it back later."

"Wait...where are you going?" Spider asked him.

"My friends need my help!" Troy told him. "I actually have some! You just stay here! I'm coming back for that armour!"

With that, Troy ran off to find his friends. He could see from here that there was only one drill left, and could guess that was where they would be.

Spider sat in the street, clutching his head as he tried to come to terms with what had happened. He was forced to fight, given the Robo Knight Armour to act as a distraction while Vrak deployed his Planet Busters. He had always prided himself on fighting for the planet, standing up for the Environment, but here he was, sitting with one of the most powerful weapons in existence, and yet...he had caused things to descend into chaos. The Rangers were fighting to clean up his mess.

He looked to his hands, and realised that there was something he could do. He might not have the experience or the ability the Rangers did, and he knew he would be more of a hindrance than a help in their battle, but there was one thing he could do to help make things right. Hauling himself painfully to his feet, he launched himself into the air, turning into jet mode and blasting off into the distance.

Back at the site of the battle for the drill, Gia, Noah, Jake and Emma were giving Vrak everything. Vrak staggered as Gia managed to score a glancing hit with her Ptera Grips as the Yellow Dino Thunder Ranger. He had always been vastly stronger than the Rangers, but now, he found that they were not as easy to defeat. Over the year they had built a lot more than just their collection of Ranger Keys. They weren't just more powerful than the last time he had faced them, they were also much stronger as warriors. They were not the same children he had faced at the beginning.

"Drive Geyser!" Emma screamed, transforming into Overdrive Pink and firing her weapon into him, sending him into the side of the cliff.

"You little..." He didn't get to finish his thought though; Noah had transformed into RPM Blue and started to bombard him with his Turbo Cannon, pinning him down.

Jake was just getting up from the most recent attack, and was about to join the battle, when he saw the Cannon nearby. He could see that it was powered up and ready to go. He looked between it and Vrak, making his choice. He sprinted across the cliff face, snatching up the weapon. Vrak had just knocked Noah and Emma back into Corsair Mode with his Cyber-Rangs as he saw Jake. He started to make his way over.

"Jake, do it!" Gia screamed as she launched herself onto his back, struggling to hold him. Vrak fired a Power Blast which narrowly missed Jake as he struggled forward. Noah and Emma also launched themselves onto him, grabbing around his legs.

"Jake, the drill!" Noah screamed at him. "Take the shot!"

Jake knew he didn't have long, so he levelled the Cannon at it, lining up his shot. It was spinning so quickly, he could only catch glimpses of the weak spot. He shook his head clear, lining up his eye. Muttering a quick prayer in Hebrew, he fired off his shot. The recoil sent him flying into the side of the cliff, embedding himself in the rock face.

They all watched as the shot hit home. The Planet Buster exploded devastatingly, laying waste to the cliff face. Gia's ears were ringing as she pulled herself up. Emma and Noah were also getting back to their feet. They all looked around to see Jake starting to dig himself out of the side of the cliff.

"OK, for what it's worth...I SO do not recommend that!" Jake grumbled as they helped dig him out.

"You did an amazing job Jake!" Gia congratulated him.

"You really did." Troy added as he arrived, helping Jake out of the hole in the cliff. "All of you, you did an amazing job!"

"Hey, check it out." Noah stated, pointing over to where a heavily damaged Vrak was just getting up, trying to activate some kind of device on his arm. They all started to approach.

"Teleport." He growled. "Work damn it!"

"It looks like you've run out of people to hide behind and places to run Vrak!" Troy announced. "Something tells me you're not going to beg like your brother though!"

"You have no idea what's coming for you!" Vrak told them. "I almost wish I would be around to see it! Lay on Rangers!"

With that, the Rangers powered up once more, running into battle with Vrak, for what they hoped would be the last time.

**A/N:** OK, important note here...I do like Vrak's ultimate form, I liked it so much...I've decided to save it, and hold it for something special. Right now, he's still in his Cyber-Vrak form. Hope that clears this up.


	17. The End of Vrak

In Vrak's underwater base, some Kingsmen teleported into the base. The first of them pulled out some explosive charges.

"I don't understand." The first of them stated. "Lord Vrak wants the whole place destroyed?"

"Those were his instructions." The other replied. "I suppose now he has the Armada Command Ship at his disposal, he has no further need for this place."

"I suppose you're right." He responded. "Can you believe he actually planned all of this from HERE? Look at this place!"

"I suppose being cut off from the power of the fleet he had to make do." The other replied as they started to set charges around the base, setting the timers to give them six minutes to get out before the base collapsed. He looked over to where the Silver Ranger was still strapped to the table. "So, what about him?"

"I suppose he's getting a burial at sea." The first Kingsman stated. As they were setting the last of the charges, they were interrupted by a loud crash. They looked up in time to see the Robo Knight tearing open the doors to the chamber, stepping inside.

"The Robo Knight is here?" One of them asked. "Has he finished with the Rangers already?"

Spider levelled his Vulcan Cannon at the first Kingsman, blasting him into oblivion. The other quickly realised he was in trouble and snatched up his spear.

"What's going on?" The Kingsman asked. "Why are you attacking us?"

"I'm finally fighting for the right side!" Spider snarled as he converted his weapon into the Robo Blade. "I'm here for the Silver Ranger!"

Spider ran towards the Kingsman, attacking him in a fury. He finally realised what the Rangers had tried to tell him all along. He was passionate about his love of the Earth, and wanting to stop the senseless destruction of the planet, but he had been fighting all the wrong battles. He had blamed other people for all the ill in the world and had sought to change their ways through force. Now though, he had been shown who the real enemy was. Mankind was flawed, and they had a lot to learn about how to treat the planet, but The Armada didn't care about the planet, or its people. Humans could learn to be better, but not if The Armada wiped them out first.

At the site of the main battle, Vrak quickly found himself under pressure as the Rangers gave him everything they had, hoping to finally take him down for good. Troy hit him with a powerful swing of a Fire Smasher, backed up with the Double Disk. It imbedded itself deeply in his right shoulder, parting armour, and sending out sparks as he staggered.

"Nice one Troy!" Noah called out as he unleashed a barrage with the Turbo Hand Cannons, using the power of the Turbo Blue Ranger. "We've got him on the ropes!"

"You...you really expect me to beg?" Vrak asked them.

"No, we know you won't beg." Gia told him. "Come on guys, let's finish this...and I know just the way to do it!"

She pulled out her Megaforce Key, at which the others all smiled. They also pulled out their Megaforce keys. They morphed into their old suits, facing off against Vrak.

"How does it feel Vrak, to see it all brought back to the beginning?" Troy asked him. He tried to get up, but his strength was failing him, and he fell to his knees. The Rangers assembled the Megaforce Blaster, powering it up as they levelled it at him.

"Just get on with it already!" Vrak sneered. "You think you frighten me? You have no idea what's coming for you!"

The Rangers fired off their blaster, hitting Vrak squarely in the crack in his armour. His cybernetics sparked aggressively, before he fell face-first to the ground, exploding. For once, the Rangers didn't turn away as he blew up devastatingly. They watched as the flames died down, and the smoke dissipated.

"It...is he...?" Emma asked. They had all seen Vrak come back so many times that they couldn't dare to take any chances. They approached the ground, seeing the remains left behind. Troy finally smiled.

"He's...he's really gone!" He announced. "He's finally gone! It's over!"

As they were finally able to decompress from the battle, their morphers bleeped.

"Oh, God, what now?" Noah asked. Troy answered his morpher.

"What is it Tensou?" Troy asked them.

"Rangers, there's a disturbance at the bus station; there are reports of a fight!" He told them. "From the descriptions, it sounds like Wayne and Eric!"

"Oh my God...DAD!" Emma shrieked. "Wayne doesn't know Vrak's been defeated!"

"Come on, we need to get there fast." Troy told them. "This way!"

With that, they all ran as fast as they could, hoping that they wouldn't be too late.

Over in the bus station, Eric and Wayne were still fighting for all they were worth across the length and breadth of the bus station. Eric was thrown through a trash can, knocking it over as Wayne tried to get his breath back.

"Damn, you're stubborn." Wayne stated, kicking Eric hard in the ribs. "Why don't you just stay DOWN?"

Eric took another hard kick, but this time, he caught it. He grabbed a bottle from the ground and swung it as hard as he could, connecting with the side of Wayne's head. As Wayne staggered, Eric pressed the advantage, swinging for the fences. He caught him a few times with the bottle, landing hits wherever he could. Wayne collapsed to the ground as he was hit across the side of the face. Eric stood over him.

"Give it up Wayne!" Eric begged him.

"You know I can't!" Wayne told him. Eric just took a deep breath, preparing to hit him again. As he brought his arm back to strike though, his grip on the bottle slipped, and it fell to the ground, shattering on the ground. He felt a cold, tingling feeling running up his left arm, which progressed into shooting pains, which progressed into his chest. He clutched his arm, staggering into the wall.

Wayne looked to him, seeing him turn an unhealthy shade of grey. He was sweating badly, and looked incredibly ill. He realised what was going on, it was his heart! The exertion of the fight had been too much for him. He didn't know if it was a full-blown heart attack, but right now, it sure as hell didn't look like he was particularly healthy. He got up, making his way over to Eric, staring at him uncertain what to do. He knew Vrak's orders, he knew he was meant to kill him, and this seemed like the perfect time, but seeing his best friend struggling to remain upright, he couldn't help feeling troubled.

As Eric slid down the wall, Wayne started to look around, not knowing what he should do. In the end, his instinct took over, and he knelt down beside him, starting to check over him.

"Eric, Eric, speak to me!" He begged him. He looked around desperately. "Has anyone got a cell phone?"

"I'll call an ambulance!" Someone called out in response, dialling 911. Wayne just knelt beside him, grabbing his hand, holding it comfortingly.

"Eric, stay with me." He said as he tried to keep Eric focused on him. "Please, stay with me. I'm sorry, I'm so sorry."

Back at the underwater base, Spider was struggling with the Kingsman. Although he had the power of the Robo Knight behind him, he was still a relative novice when it came to Ranger battles. Even a single Kingsman was a tall order. He was shoved away, hitting the wall, but he kept a hold of the Kingsman's spear, ripping it from his grip.

"It's too late Robo Knight!" The Kingsman taunted him, pointing to one of the bombs. Spider looked to it, seeing that there was only a minute left on the clock. "It looks like we all get to sleep with the fishes!"

"I hate to pollute." Spider responded, rushing at him. He rammed the spear straight through the Kingsman, pinning him to the wall. He glared at him. "But in this case, I'll make an exception!"

He ran over to where Orion was lying on the table and started to unfasten the straps holding him down. He could see the wires plugged directly into his body, but as the timer ticked down, he realised he didn't have time to be gentle. He ripped the wires out of the bench, and grabbed Orion, hefting him off the bed.

"Sorry about this, but this'll be a bumpy ride." He turned into his jet mode, flying up through the ceiling. He was only just clear by the time the bombs went off, obliterating the base.

The Rangers arrived, just in time to see the paramedics strapping Eric into a stretcher. Wayne was by his side, looking more than a little roughed up, but he had stayed with Eric the whole time he was waiting on the ambulance. Eric was barely responsive as they prepared to load him into the ambulance. Emma shoved her way through the crowd, heading for her father's side.

"Dad!" She shrieked, seeing the terrible state he was in. The paramedics tried to keep her back.

"I'm sorry miss; you need to give us room..."

"My name's Emma Goodall, this is my dad." She told him. "Please, can I go with him?"

"There's room in the back." One of the paramedics told her. "Your dad's had a pretty serious episode; you'll need to be strong for him. Do you think you could do that?"

Emma just nodded wordlessly, before climbing into the back of the ambulance as they loaded Eric inside.

"We'll follow on." Troy told her. "I'll get a cab."

"Thanks guys." Emma replied quietly as they closed up the back of the ambulance. The vehicle sped away, the siren blaring, heading for the nearest hospital. Wayne just looked to the Rangers apologetically.

"Can...can I come with you?" He asked.

"You're kidding right?" Gia asked. "Don't you think you've done enough?"

"Please, I just...I need to make this right." He told them. "I don't care what happens to me. Just...I need to know he's alright."

Troy just looked to him, sensing his sincerity. It was pretty clear that Wayne was responsible for the state Eric was in right now, but it was also clear that he had gone out of his way to make sure that Eric pulled through. He had ensured he got the medical help he needed, and he had stayed with him.

"Come on." Troy told him, gesturing towards the taxi rank.

A little while later, at the hospital, the Rangers and Wayne were waiting outside Eric's room, desperate for any word on his condition. Wayne was sitting, fidgeting uneasily under Gia's harsh glare. She couldn't be swayed on her opinion that allowing him within a hundred miles of Eric was in any way acceptable. Only the fact that he was surrounded by Rangers kept her from removing him from the premises herself. She just stared at him, her arms crossed defiantly.

Eventually, Emma came out of the room. They could see from her face that she was trying her best to be brave. She looked up to Troy as he approached her.

"Emma..."

"You stay quiet." Gia warned Eric. "How is he?"

"He had a pretty serious attack. They said it was a pretty close thing." Emma told them. "He's resting for now."

"We still have to find Orion." Noah reminded them. "We don't know where..."

Just then, the Robo Knight burst into the hospital, carrying the prone form of Orion with him. He looked around hurriedly.

"Can I get some help here?" He called out. Quickly, a team of medics was surrounding him. He loaded Orion gently onto a stretcher. "He's pretty weak. I don't know what's wrong with him, but...he needs help."

"We'll get him all the help he needs." One of the doctors assured him. The other Rangers quickly assembled around the Robo Knight as the doctors took Orion away to be examined. Troy just looked to him.

"I thought I told you to stay put." Troy told him. Spider just turned to face them as the Robo Knight Armour recalled into him.

"I...I couldn't. I just...I needed to do something." He assured them. He went over to Jordan, at which his hand started to glow brightly. As he opened it, handing Jordan a metallic object. He could feel the power within it. He looked up to Spider.

"I believe this is yours." He told him. "You're a much better Robo Knight than I was. The Earth is lucky to have people like you fighting for it."

"You saved Orion." Noah stated.

"I always said I wanted to fight for the planet." Spider told them. "I know I've got a long way to go to make up for all the bad things I did. I just hope this goes some way to making that happen."

"Mikey...it's...it's really you." Wayne stammered, looking to his son. He grabbed him in a tight hug, holding him warmly. Spider returned the hug, but as he parted from Wayne, he looked to him.

"Dad, there's...there's something I need to do." He told him. "Promise me you'll look after my sister."

"What are you doing?" Wayne asked as Spider made his way down the hall. Spider just breathed a sigh.

"I still have to pay for the things I did." Spider told him. "I don't just get an out for that."

With that, Spider found a police officer, guarding the hall.

"Um...hi, my name is Mikey Spencer." He told the cop, holding out his hands. "I'd like to turn myself in."

Up on The Armada Command Ship, Damaras slammed his fists into the control console as he searched for any signs of Vrak. He was horrified to think of it, but as soon as he tried to teleport Vrak back to the ship, he had found that the system had been disabled. He turned around, seeing Lavira standing behind him.

"You...you did this!" He yelled at her.

"I'd like to see you prove that." She taunted him. It was exactly the same thing Damaras had told her when Vekar had fallen. He snarled as he drew his sword, levelling it at her.

"You...you traitor!" He screamed at her. "Tell me why I shouldn't just destroy you right now!"

"Because if you do, then you'll have no one to help you run your army." She reminded him. "Last time I checked, you needed me to keep your droids running."

"This is not the last you'll hear of this Lavira!" He told her.

"Oh, for the time being, I really think it is." She answered. "After all, you've now just failed to protect BOTH of The Emperor's sons. You need every ally you can get and you know it."

With that, she left the room, heading for her lab. Damaras hated to admit it, but she was right. He had now failed to protect both of the Emperor's children. When he heard about Vekar's demise, he was certain he would be enraged, but hearing that Vrak had perished as well...that was something that he would surely never be able to forgive.


	18. Goodall Heart

Emma was sitting outside Eric's room, while the rest of the Rangers gathered around her. Louise had been called, and had arrived a little while after to be with them. Emma was sitting between Louise and Gia, wrapped in Troy's leather jacket, being comforted as she sat, chewing her nails nervously. One of the nurses came over to them, at which Emma looked up to her. Her eyes were very bloodshot from all her tears.

"I'm sorry miss, but visiting hours ended an hour ago." She told her. Everyone in the hospital knew exactly who they were...hell, everyone in HARWOOD knew who the Rangers were. They'd already had one cop pretty much gamble his career by "lending" them a patrol car when they needed a lift. While opinion in the rest of the world varied, they had found that in Harwood, they were overwhelmingly behind the Rangers. It was obvious that people were giving them a lot of leeway, which was why they had allowed them to stay so long after visiting hours ended. "Your father's asleep; the best thing you can do for him right now is go home and get some rest."

"I don't..."

"Emma, they know what they're doing." Louise whispered to her. She loved Eric dearly; she wanted to be there for him too. If they would let her, she'd be in his room, waiting by his bed for when he woke up, but given this was his second heart attack, they were taking no chances with his wellbeing. "They'll take good care of him."

"I don't want to go." Emma reiterated.

"Emma, there's nothing you can do for him right now." Gia told her. "Why don't you go home and get some rest? We can come back tomorrow."

"You'll call us if anything changes won't you?" Louise asked the nurse. She just nodded her head.

"We know how to reach you." She assured them. "You want to be at your best when you see him don't you?"

Emma reluctantly agreed, getting up. She pulled Troy's jacket more tightly around herself as he put his arm around her.

"Come on, let's go home." Louise told them. "It'll be a bit of a squeeze, but we should have room for everybody."

"What about Orion?" Jake asked.

"Your friend is resilient, I'll give him that much." The nurse told them. "He's already been asking to be let out, but we convinced him to let us keep him overnight for observation. He should be alright to return tomorrow."

"Thanks for all your help." Troy told her. The nurse just smiled.

"We'll take really good care of them." She assured them. "It's not exactly a proper use of resources, but I'm sure I can talk some of the ambulance guys to give you all a ride home. Go and get some rest. You've earned it."

With that, they all started to file out of the hospital.

Meanwhile, on a ship, deep in space, a dark figure was sitting on his throne, observing his viewing screen. His clawed hand cradled a goblet made of precious materials that had been plundered from some long-forgotten civilisation. At least...it had been forgotten by HIM long ago. So many planets, so many people had fallen under the meat grinder that was his Empire that he could scarcely remember them all, even if he did care enough to learn about them.

He watched on a viewing screen as it replayed some of his "greatest hits" while he feasted on delicacies gathered from every corner of his empire. He found that it amused him to watch the slaughter he had visited upon worlds, the destruction he had wrought in the expansion of his empire while he ate. Tonight's show was a favourite of his, the destruction of Eltar.

He looked up as the door opened and a couple of Kingsmen came into the room, standing either side of the door. He just glared at them hatefully. A moment later, a strange looking creature, a red, scaled creature that looked a little like a fish came through the door, before kneeling and bowing his head reverently. He took a long swig from his goblet and placed it down.

"Interrupting me when I'm eating is a dangerous pastime, Redker!" He growled as he glared at him. "This better be important."

"Your Highness." Redker began, gulping deeply, unable to look him in the eye. "I have important, troubling news."

"It couldn't wait until after my meal?" He asked.

"I am afraid not Emperor Mavro." Redker replied, steeling himself for what he had to say. "I have received a troubling report from Earth."

"What's my idiot son done now?" He asked him. "Don't tell me he managed to fail after I gave him that Megazord."

"I am afraid it is worse than that Your Highness." He answered. He gulped deeply as he prepared to tell him the rest, fearing the Emperor's wrath. His anger was terrifying at the best of times. He shuddered to think what his reaction would be when he found out that the Rangers had murdered both of his sons.

Back on Earth, the Rangers had gotten back to the Goodall house, hoping to get some much needed rest after the events of the day.

The house was indeed full. As soon as they had heard that Vrak had taken Eric hostage, they had immediately rounded up the rest of their loved ones, fearing that he would go after them too. While it was a three-bedroom, the place was being stretched to the limits. Between Ernie, The Burrows, the Carvers, the Hollings, Quinn and Allison, in addition to five Rangers, Jordan and of course Louise, there were going to be 16 people in the house. It was pretty cramped, but at the same time, it was strangely quiet. They were all mindful of Emma and Louise and the hell they were going through, waiting on word on Eric's condition.

Emma was in the kitchen, holding a cup of coco that Louise had made her. It was something of a tradition in the house that they'd have coco whenever someone was having a rough time. Louise sat across from her, and took her hand in hers.

"Come on Emma." She said softly. "Drink it before it gets cold."

"I just...I can't stand seeing dad that way." She murmured, looking into the mug. The little marshmallows that were floating on its surface had almost completely melted by now.

"Hey, he's a fighter, you know that." Louise told her. "It's going to take more than a heart attack to keep him off his feet."

"He's right Emma. You have a habit of surrounding yourself with strong people." Gia told her. "I mean, look at Troy. He lost a leg, and he came back stronger than ever!"

"Eric's got all the strength he needs right here." Louise told Emma, smiling at her. "He might have had two heart attacks, but you've got more than enough heart for the both of you."

Emma just looked up to her.

"You really believe that don't you?" Emma asked. Louise just nodded.

"I'd bet everything I have on it." She answered. Emma took Louise's hand, looking to her warmly.

"I'm sorry I gave you both such a hard time before." Emma told her. "I acted like a spoiled brat..."

"Its fine, we both understood how you felt." Louise assured her. "It's like I told you at the time, we took our time. We went at a pace you were comfortable with..."

"I know, but seeing you like this...you..." Emma sniffed back a tear. "I just wanted to tell you, I'm really glad you're part of dad's life. I'm really glad you're a part of mine too."

"Drink up." Louise told her. "Then try to get some sleep."

"Louise?" Emma asked. Louise just looked to her. "I just...I want to say...I wouldn't mind if you and dad..."

"Emma..."

"Mom's been gone seven years." Emma interrupted her. "And I can see how much you mean to dad. I just wanted you to know, if you did want to take things further, I'd be behind you all the way."

Louise just glared at Gia, who held up her hands defensively.

"I didn't say anything, I swear!" She protested. Emma just looked confused.

"What's going on?" She asked. "Did you...?"

"Your father and I have discussed it." Louise told Emma. "It's something we both want, but the most important thing to us was you girls. We said we wouldn't do anything..."

"But that's not fair; dad shouldn't have held things up because of me!" Emma told her.

"He didn't. I was the one that insisted I would only take that step when you felt you could give us your blessing." Louise told her. "It means so much to me to hear that you would support us."

"I only have one condition." Emma told her. "The first is, I want to be there for the proposal."

"I think we can manage that." Louise said with a smile. "Go and get some rest."

Emma finished off her coco, and headed up to her room. On her way, she found Troy, gathering some linen from the cupboard. She just took it off him.

"I don't think you need that." She told him. He just looked to her.

"Emma, this is your dad's house." He reminded her. "I don't think..."

"Under the circumstances, I don't think anyone will mind." Emma answered. As she put away the linen, Troy just followed her to her room. She looked to him as he stood before her.

"It's been a crazy couple of days." He commented. "Maybe..."

"Troy, I know it's been a long time, but I just...I could really use someone tonight." She replied. He nodded in understanding. A lot of time had passed since he had left the team, and the last couple of days had not really afforded them the chance to talk about things. "Just...hold me?"

Troy nodded in understanding. As Emma lay on the bed, he unstrapped his prosthetic leg, propping it up against the bedside table, before climbing under the covers with her. He pulled her into himself, wrapping his arms around her and held her softly as she tried to get some sleep.

In the dead of night, Jordan was roused from his sleep as he was gently shaken. A hand was clamped over his mouth as he was about to say something. He followed the armoured arm up, seeing Gosei leaning over him. He indicated to him to be quiet, before releasing him.

"Dad?" Jordan asked as he started to come to, rubbing his eyes. He pulled himself up. "What are you doing here?"

"I would have come sooner, but I wanted to give you some time to clean up your mess." Gosei began as he looked to Jordan. Despite the armour, which was necessary for his survival on Earth, Jordan could feel his disappointment. He had to admit that despite his frustrations with his father's distant nature and insistence on keeping most of his plans a secret, he had messed up a fair bit recently. "You were meant to stay in The Library."

"Troy was injured; I needed to do what I could to help." Jordan insisted. Gosei just sighed.

"Well, I can't say your motives weren't admirable, even if you did end up risking everything." Gosei told him. "You have no idea how important you are, but you soon will."

"Are you going to take me back to The Library?" Jordan asked him. Gosei shook his head.

"No. You're not going back to The Library." He told him. "You're coming with me."

"Wait...now?" Jordan asked him. Gosei just nodded, leaving a letter on the table for the others to find.

"The end is coming, sooner than you think." Gosei responded. He took his son's hand, and with that, they both disappeared.

When they reappeared, Jordan looked around. He found himself in a temple of some description. It was a brilliant white columned structure in what seemed like a meadow, extending for miles on all sides. He couldn't help being impressed. While he didn't know where he was, he could already feel the mystical power within the place. It eclipsed everything he had ever experienced before then.

"Welcome to the Mystic Realm." Gosei greeted him.

"Mystic Realm?" He asked.

"More accurately, it's the temple of the Mystic Mother." Gosei told him. "It was the only place I could hide from The Armada. They don't have anyone with the magic necessary to find this place. That was why I chose this place to prepare for the ritual."

"Bethal?" Jordan asked, seeing Lerigot's daughter, the creature that had sprung him from The Library. He was a little surprised to see her there, but even more surprised to see her mopping the floors. She humphed as she saw him. "What are you doing here?"

"She's paying the inevitable price for disobedience." Gosei answered before she could. "Lerigot and I knew there was only one being that could have released you from The Library without my consent."

"Dad's had me on hard labour since you escaped!" She snapped bad-temperedly. "Do you have any idea how long it takes to clean this place up without magic? My dad's a total slave driver!"

"I...guess I'm sorry about that." Jordan answered, feeling a little guilty. While he hadn't exactly forced her to help him, he had asked her to help him escape. Gosei just sighed.

"Go about your business Bethal." He told her. "Perhaps if you do a good job, your father will give your powers back."

With that, they headed into the temple. Jordan could hardly believe what he was seeing as he got there.

"Princess Shayla!" He called out, recognising her from his studies in The Library. She wasn't the only one there he recognised. "Mystic Mother, Dimitria, the Tribuneral of Magic..."

"I have assembled the single most powerful Cabal of mystics in existence." Gosei told him. "They are needed for the ritual."

"What ritual?" Jordan asked.

"That...you don't need to know." Gosei told him. "Right now, I need you to prepare yourself for the fight of your life."

In a secret location, in a darkened lab, systems started to flicker and come online. The computers lining the walls started to get to work, downloading lines of code. Lights came on, engulfing a table, covered with a sheet, under which was the unmistakable form of a humanoid body.

As the systems came online, lights began to flash, and electricity arced into it, powering up the creation beneath the sheet. Before long, there was a twitch from the body as it activated.

Drawing the sheet off itself, the creature sat up on the bed, turning and stepping off the bench. He stumbled a little, taking a second to get used to his new body. He observed himself in the mirror and started to laugh. Massive wings unfurled, casting an impressive shadow over the room.

"Everything's falling into place." The creature stated. "Just as I planned."


	19. Emperor Mavro

Emma woke up, finding that Troy wasn't beside her in the bed. Looking to the bedside table, she could see that his prosthetic leg was gone.

"Troy?" She asked, but she didn't get a response. She looked to the curtains noticing there was no light coming through the crack in the curtains. Furrowing her brows, she looked to the alarm clock, seeing that it was only 5:30 in the morning. She wasn't exactly unaccustomed to early rises. Some of the creatures she wanted to view and photograph didn't exactly keep to the same timetable as humans. Troy was also an early riser, usually going for a run and working out before he showered and got ready for school, but this was early even for them.

"What could he be doing at 5:30 in the morning?" She asked herself. As she did so, she saw a light starting to glow from the street outside. Not knowing what it was, she grabbed some clothes, hurriedly throwing them on as she went down the stairs, heading out into the back yard.

When she got there, she found Troy standing in a pair of sweat pants, and nothing else, running through what appeared to be Tai Chi. Troy was versed in a few martial arts, and she knew he used patterns as part of his workout regularly. He had even taught her some, but this was the first time she could see this.

He didn't notice her as she came out into the yard. On closer inspection, his eyes were closed, and he was focusing all his attention on his exercise. She looked to him as the glow came again, realising it was coming from him. She had seen something like this before, back when Casey had trained them. She could remember how she felt when Casey put her in touch with her Phoenix Spirit, and had seen a similar energy running from her. They didn't have time to complete their Pai Zhua training, but he had given them access to a whole new power within them that day.

The glow around Troy though was so much more intense, and as she came closer, she could feel the hairs on her skin standing upright. She could feel the power coming from him, and it left her breathless. Troy finished his exercise, sinking down into the lotus position, and the energy started to form into his hands. Emma came around in front of him to find the energy forming into the unmistakable form of a dragon, which nestled into his folded hands on his lap, like it was falling asleep, before disappearing. She stood, watching him wordlessly for a moment, unable to believe what she had seen.

"Good morning Emma." Troy said, causing her to jump with fright. She didn't know he was aware she was even there. It was then that Troy opened his eyes. "I tried not to wake you."

"Um...it's alright." Emma replied a little nervously. She offered Troy a hand to help him up, which he politely declined. He hit a backward roll, ending up back on his feet. Troy saw her reaction.

"Sorry, it's a force of habit." He told her. "It's silly, but it's something that was drilled into me by my group...I'm meant to get on my own feet."

"Never mind refusing the hand...what was that?" Emma asked him. Troy realised she meant his exercises. "That was...incredible!"

"Like I said, a lot has changed about me." Troy told her. "I was working to learn to adapt to the amputation. It wasn't easy; a lot of the stuff I used to do was a lot tougher with the prosthetic. Then one day, Swoop showed up."

"Swoop?" Emma asked him. "Master Swoop, the Pai Zhua master?"

"He taught me a lot." Troy answered, reaching for a t-shirt he had dropped onto the ground when he started his workout. He pulled it on, looking to her. "I expected him to teach me to work around my disability, you know...because he did...but he taught me so much more than that, something I never thought about. He taught me that he never even considered his blindness as a factor."

"He doesn't?" Emma asked. She could remember one time Troy had convinced them to train blindfolded, but even though they could figure out the environment with their other senses, that was in the middle of the woods, where there was relatively little noise or other distractions. None of them were under the false impression that they would be able to do the same thing on a battlefield with explosions going off all around them. Troy balled his hand into a fist, and it started to glow again.

"He trained his animal spirit; he relies on it, unified with it, and takes his strength from it." Troy told her. "He taught me to do the same. I've increased my understanding of my animal spirit so much under him. In time, learning to fight with only one leg just kind of fell into place. I can now almost fight as well without the prosthetic as I can with it."

"That's incredible." Emma whispered, as his hand stopped glowing. She stepped closer to him. "You said something about some group?"

"I joined a support group that helps people learning to deal with life after disabilities." Troy told her. "Allison recommended it to me actually. It's the same one she joined after her car accident. It was a huge help to talk about things. The weird feelings I'd get from where my foot should be, getting used to the way the prosthetic feels...it really helped me get to a good place."

"It sounds like it." Emma told him. She drew in, kissing him softly. "I really did miss you."

"I missed all of you." Troy answered. "We should get inside, the others will be getting up soon, and we should be ready for when they do. I don't want anyone to worry."

"Worry?" Emma asked. "What about?"

"Jordan's gone." Troy told her, handing her the letter Gosei had left. "Gosei took him away in the night."

"Wait, Jordan's gone?" She asked. "And you're telling us not to worry?"

"If you'd asked me a couple of months ago, I'd have answered differently, but there's one thing I've learned in all of this." He told her as he headed inside. "Even the bad stuff happens for a reason. We just have to have enough faith to wait until we see what that purpose is."

As he headed inside, Emma just felt confused. She was happy Troy was back, and she couldn't believe the new strength he had returned with, but there was something odd about the whole conversation, something she couldn't quite put her finger on.

On The Armada Command Ship, Damaras was on the bridge, going over and over the inventory of his remaining resources. Although not much remained of his biological body, given his long and storied career with The Armada leading to him going to the bionics lab more than a few times, he felt a huge wave of panic. What remained of his stomach felt twisted, and he was constantly ill. His heart, which normally felt very little, was running cold, and felt like it was about to beat its last at any moment.

He had always known that siding with Vrak in his scheme to depose Vekar was a risky option. Despite his many feelings, as his only legitimate son and heir to the throne, Emperor Mavro had protected him his entire life. It was the reason he had assigned Damaras, one of his most successful and trusted generals to him in the first place. He had even told Damaras himself that he felt if he was at Vekar's side, even HE couldn't foul up invading this sector of the galaxy.

When Vrak had engineered Vekar's demise, he knew the Emperor wouldn't be happy, but once they had the Earth, once they had eliminated those responsible and avenged Vekar's "tragic" demise, he would come to accept Vrak as his new heir. Unfortunately, he hadn't factored in one thing. He hadn't factored in Lavira's relationship with the Prince. Although he was certain she would have covered her tracks to the point that the Emperor would never find out, he was certain she was the one that had disabled the teleportation system, trapping Vrak on the planet. Even if he had defeated the Rangers and stopped them disabling the Planet Buster, he would have been on the planet when it was destroyed. Whatever happened, Vrak would have been destroyed.

He now knew that his only hope of surviving the Emperor's wrath was to avenge his fallen sons, and to do so before he got word and arrived to do the job himself. It was like Lavria had said, on his watch; both of the Emperor's sons had been murdered. It was the kind of failure that he was certain he would never survive.

Vrak had used all of the Planet Busters in his last scheme, so he didn't have the kind of ordinance required to simply destroy the planet from under the Rangers. His fleet now only had a few dozen ships, certainly not enough to mount a significant invasion. His stocks of Kingsmen and Bruisers had been completely exhausted, and he no longer had any Commanders.

"X-borgs?" He roared. "All I have left are X-borgs?"

He scanned the whole ship, hoping that there was something he had missed. He couldn't believe that he had been left functionally unarmed against the whole planet. Vekar, for his careless disregard for his resources and troops, was also a nervous general, who felt most comfortable when he was surrounded by stockpiled weapons to throw at any enemy that threatened him and was quick to requisition more weapons. Vrak on the other hand was always planning ahead, and he found it hard to believe that he would not have some kind of back-up plan on hand. However, after scanning the whole ship, he confirmed that he was down to virtually nothing. He eventually just hit a command, sending down a squadron of his X-borgs, only to hear a derisive laugh from behind him.

"Perhaps you could always try asking them nicely to let you take the planet?" Lavira chuckled as she entered the room, seeing the desperation in Damaras as he roared in frustration at his predicament. "It would do about as much good as those X-borgs."

He turned to her and pointed to her in warning.

"Don't try my patience Lavira!" He snarled. "You know how dangerous I can be!"

"I know how dangerous you USED to be." She taunted him. "The mighty Damaras, the warrior capable of decimating a planet single-handed...who hasn't graced a battlefield himself in...how long has it been again?"

"Keep pushing Lavira!" He warned her. "Keep pushing and you'll find out just how dangerous I can..."

Just then, there was a huge blast, and a flash of light, brighter than a thunder flash. Before they knew it, the whole ship was shaking as explosions started to go off all around them.

"What's happening?" Damaras asked. "An enemy attack?"

This was indeed a worrying prospect for them. With their resources so depleted, they were well aware that they were vulnerable. The Earth might not have anything that could harm them, but there were other worlds not too far from them that were not on good terms with The Armada. Aquitar, Triforia, Xyberia...if a fleet from one of those planets had found them, they were in deep trouble.

They stumbled to the windows as they tried to get a view to see what was happening. All of their remaining support ships were being attacked by an unseen foe. Ships started to streak into view from hyper-speed, blurring into view. Damaras staggered back.

"Oh shit!" He muttered. Lavira just smiled as she saw they were Armada ships, more than she could count coming into view. The ones closest to the ship were purple, which meant specifically they were Royal Escort. She just smiled.

"It looks like daddy's home." She said in a satisfied tone, looking to Damaras. "Now you're in for it."

The wall opened up behind the throne that used to belong to Vekar, into a long passageway with a red carpet. It was the direct link between the transport docking area and the throne room, one exclusively reserved for the Emperor.

"Make way for Emperor Mavro!" A Kingsman declared as they started to march into view. "Bow down before His Royal Highness!"

Damaras and Lavira stood in the middle of the room, watching as two Kingsmen marched out, followed closely by the unmistakable form of Emperor Mavro. Behind him were two other creatures, one of them that they recognised as Redker. The other was a Commander with golden armour that brought up the rear.

"Your Majesty!" Damaras declared as he and Lavira both knelt before him, bowing down reverently. Lavira still had a smirk on her face, thinking about the fate that awaited Damaras. "I..."

"As you can see Damaras, your entire fleet...what was left of it...has just paid the price for your dismal failure to take over this planet, and to protect my sons!" He declared regally as he sat in the throne. Redker and the other Commander flanked him, standing to attention, awaiting his orders.

"Emperor, I can explain!" Damaras protested.

"Take Damaras into custody on the crime of high treason!" He shot back, completely ignoring Damaras' attempts to protest his innocence. He didn't have any interest in what he had to say. All he knew was that his sons were dead, and he had assigned Damaras to the task of ensuring that didn't happen.

"Sire!" He again tried to protest, but Redker and the other Commander were already coming his way.

"Your incompetence cannot be ignored any longer!" He roared.

"What?" Damaras asked incredulously.

"You were meant to protect the Prince and you FAILED!" Redker screamed, raking his claws across Damaras' face, sending sparks flying. "You were meant to protect Vrak, and he was murdered!"

He raked his claws across Damaras' chest too, but the cyborg barely even flinched at his attacks. They were more like slaps to him than any serious attempt to harm him. It was more about humiliation than anything else. Damaras didn't dare to fight back. Despite his genuine belief that he had done the Empire a favour by removing the weak and incompetent Vekar, he was still completely devoted to The Emperor.

"You allowed both of my cousins to die!" Redker screamed at him. "Now, you will suffer!"

"Inept fool, not only did you not protect them, you stood back and watched them be destroyed!" The other general reminded him. Lavira stood up.

"My Lord, it wasn't all his fault." Lavira stated. This caused Damaras to look at her, completely taken aback. This was what he was sure she wanted. She wanted him to be destroyed for his part in her fiancé's demise. Because of him, she had missed out on marrying into the family, and becoming in line to be a monarch! Why would she defend him?

"Prince Vekar ordered him to stay behind! He insisted on going to the planet in his Megazord to face the Rangers alone!" She told him. "Damaras couldn't disobey a direct order!"

"Quiet!" The gold-plated General declared. "You're lucky you don't get worse than this!"

He blasted Lavira to the floor, at which she stopped moving, completely stunned. Mavro looked to Damaras as his Kingsmen seized him.

"I don't care what your orders from Vekar were; you had orders from me to protect him, even from himself!" Mavro reminded him. "Take him away! I will decide a suitable punishment for him later!"

"Sire, please!" Damaras pleaded with him. "Allow me to redeem myself!"

His pleas fell on deaf ears though. The Emperor just glared at Lavira.

"As for you...you are confined to your lab from now on!" He told her. Her face fell.

"But...but Your Highness...I was devoted to your son!" She protested. He just scoffed.

"I know about your relationship with him, but as far as I can see, you were just a...concubine." He told her. "You are no use to me here, so I'm putting you where you are most use to me! Fit her with a restraint and confine her to the lab. I don't want to see her again!"

Lavira was grabbed by the gold-plated General, who dragged her from the room, screaming her protests. Redker snapped his fingers, at which another Kingsman came in, carrying a portrait of Prince Vekar, trimmed in black.

"Your Highness, I took the liberty of having this prepared." He told him. "I thought it might bring you some comfort to hang this behind your throne."

"Hang it up." He declared, at which the Kingsman did as he was told. "Damaras has failed me, but the Power Rangers did the deed! They destroyed my sons! For that, I will destroy them!"

Back at the Goodall place, breakfast was taking on more of a feeling of feeding time at the zoo. With fifteen people in a house only designed for a family of four or five, it was more than a little cramped, and people were getting in each other's way. Ernie was keeping on top of making food and handing out drinks as people prepared for the day ahead.

Allison was outside, in the front garden. She didn't take it personally, no one asked her to go outside, but being in a wheelchair made getting a space difficult at the best of times. When the house was full like this, she actually found it preferable to be outside. Jake came out, carrying a couple of bacon sandwiches and a stool, placing the stool down next to Allison before sitting down. He handed her the plate, taking a sandwich himself.

"Bacon?" She asked. He just shrugged.

"I kind of had to let the whole kosher thing slide while I was on the run." He told her. "I have to admit, I don't necessarily think I was missing much, but bacon is pretty good."

"I guess a lot has changed." Allison replied. "How's Emma?"

"She and Louise are going to the hospital soon." Jake told her. "They've both been handling things pretty well."

"I guess having a full house didn't help much." Allison stated. "I guess once we all go back home and they have more space, it might help."

"Go back home?" Jake asked her. Allison just looked to him.

"Jake, we were only here because you were worried about Vrak coming for us." She reminded him. "Vrak's gone now. We don't need to squeeze into one house now."

"What if I like being close to you?" Jake asked. "I mean, it's been a long time, and I was hoping while we were in town, we could catch up."

Just then, his morpher bleeped. He was about to answer it, but the others were already on their way out the door.

"Jake, attack at the mall!" Troy told him. "Come on, let's go!"

Jake just looked to Allison regretfully. She leaned in, kissing his cheek.

"You know where to find me when you're done." She told him. With that, Jake ran off, forcing down his sandwich as he went.


	20. Nothing Gets Easier

The Rangers arrived at the mall, finding a couple of dozen X-borgs running around. While they could understand the panic from the civilians, after months and months of escalation, especially within the last few days...they were almost disappointed by what they saw.

"Seriously? This is it?" Noah asked.

Jake didn't say anything, instead just throwing himself straight into the fight. As the others joined him, he let out whoops of delight.

"Man, this is too easy!" Gia commented. "It's like they're not even trying anymore!"

"I could beat these guys in my sleep!" Jake replied as he cut down one of them. He threw his sword, impaling one of the robots. He ran at a bench, leaping off it and hitting a plancha straight into a bunch of the robots, knocking them down. "Hah! I got a strike!"

"Jake what are you doing?" Noah asked him, smashing one of the robots in the face with the hilt of his sword. "Quit clowning around!"

"I'm just trying to keep things interesting!" Jake protested as he tossed his blaster into the hands of an X-borg. The robot just looked confused as he walked towards it with his arms open wide. "Come on, I'm standing right here!"

The X-borg got the idea and levelled the blaster at him, but as it got off its first and only shot, Jake was on it, knocking the blaster away and smashing its head in with the heel of his palm. The other Rangers dispensed pretty quickly with the rest of the X-borgs, and rounded on the Green Ranger.

"What the hell Jake, why were you fighting like that?" Gia demanded. He just shrugged.

"I was just trying to keep things interesting." He told them.

"Jake, any fight is risky." Emma reminded him. "You shouldn't take more risks than are necessary."

"Come on guys, can't you see what's happening?" Jake asked.

"Jake, we still have..."

"Guys, there wasn't a Commander here!" He reminded them. "There were no Kingsmen...hell, there weren't even any Bruisers!"

"Jake..."

"Don't you get it? We've taken down Argus, Vekar, Vrak..." Jake rhymed off excitedly. "They don't have anyone left! They're running out of resources! We've won!"

"Jake you can't think..."

"When was the last time they sent a bunch of X-borgs without so much as one bruiser for support?" Jake asked in response as Noah tried to reason with him. Noah was about to answer, but he fell silent. Jake had a point.

"Face it guys, The Armada's finished! We've won!" Jake told them. "They'll figure that out soon enough."

"I don't know." Troy replied. "I just feel like...it's not over yet."

"Dude, look around." Jake scoffed, gesturing to the wreckage of the X-borgs. "It's over!"

"Then why did Gosei take Jordan?" Troy asked him.

"Maybe he just wants some quality father/son time at long last. He has missed out on the last 18 years of his life!" Jake reminded him. "Now, if you'll excuse me..."

He went to a flower cart, taking a bouquet. He was about to hand the vendor some money, but she just shook her head. She was still shaken up from the battle, and was grateful that the Rangers kept her safe. Jake just shrugged and took the bouquet.

"...There's a certain young lady I want to see." Jake told them. As he walked away, the others just watched him go.

"Well, you have to love his optimism." Noah commented. "Do you think he's right?"

"I'm going to err on the side of caution." Troy replied.

"I need to go and see dad." Emma answered. She had been very quiet since they had found out about the attack. She had been getting ready to go to the hospital. She looked to Troy, who just nodded.

"We'll see you later." He told the others as they left.

"Come on guys." Gia stated. "Let's go home."

Up on The Armada Command Ship, Emperor Mavro was in his chambers, formerly his son's chambers, gorging himself on an immense feast that had been prepared for him. His appetite for food was almost as insatiable as his thirst for conquest. Even before he had inherited the Empire from his father, he had been a glutton for the pain and anguish he could inflict on others. It was a trait his son Vekar shared with him. Redker came in and bowed to him.

"You summoned me Your Highness?" He asked.

"Yes, I did." Mavro replied, quaffing some wine straight from the jug, not even bothering with the goblet. "These Rangers...they're still alive. I want that rectified."

"Your Highness, I will go to Earth personally and..."

"No, I don't wish that, not yet." Mavro told him. "Both of my sons were killed because they were so reckless. They underestimated their enemy. That is a mistake I will not make."

"Well, we have some data on their capabilities." Redker said as he tried to think of something. "Damaras sent a force down before his arrest..."

"He sent some X-borgs, that tells us nothing." Mavro replied, tearing the leg off a large, turkey leg and taking a bite. "We need to send them a real challenge to see what they're capable of."

"Then I will send..."

"Send Damaras." Mavro declared. Redker just looked dumbfounded.

"But...but he's a traitor!" Redker protested. "He failed to..."

"He is also one of the most powerful warriors in my entire army!" Mavro cut him off.

"Uncle, I must insist..."

"YOU are my new heir; you have nothing to do but what I TELL you to do!" Mavro yelled, splattering some of his food as he spoke before finishing his mouthful. "Now, do as I say and send Damaras to Earth!"

"Your Highness, with all due respect..."

"With all due respect, if he wins, we conquer the Earth and my sons are avenged!" Mavro interrupted him. "If he loses..."

He just shrugged.

"...Then we know that we've finally found a worthy adversary. Best case scenario, they destroy each other and save me the bother of deciding if I'm going to execute or pardon Damaras."

"I will do as you command uncle." Redker replied, bowing low as he left the room.

In his cell, Damaras was sitting, his hands shackled before him, stewing over what had happened to him.

He could easily escape. There were no bars that could contain him, no chains that could restrain him. Although it had been many years since he had personally gone to battle, he had earned his place as one of Emperor Mavro's most respected generals after a lifetime of battlefield victories. In his day, there were many worlds he had either subjugated or even completely annihilated single-handed on the Emperor's orders. His role had become more or less administrative since Mavro had taken the throne from his father, but Damaras still held a place of reverence in the Empire.

He had always faithfully served the Royal Family, long beyond any natural lifespan he had any right to. Such was his devotion that Mavro's great grandfather had begun his long process of cybernetic enhancements to extend his life beyond its natural span and ensure his descendents the loyalty of his service.

Damaras knew that Mavro would never hear a word against his son. It was the only reason he had never just admitted to his part in Vekar's demise. While Mavro was only too aware of his son's shortcomings, he was obsessed by his legacy, and of preparing an heir to take over his Empire. If he could have spoken freely with the Emperor about Vekar, he was certain that in the end, Mavro would see he had only ever sought to ensure his legacy was passed to a suitably strong successor, and prune a weak limb of the family tree. As far as he was concerned, despite some considering his actions treason, he had only ever done what he believed was in the best interests of the Royal Family.

He looked up as Redker came into the room.

"Get up!" Redker snarled. Damaras did as he was told. "The Emperor, in his infinite generosity, has seen fit to grant you an opportunity to redeem yourself for your failure."

"I will serve faithfully as I always have." Damaras told him.

"You better!" Redker replied coldly. "Now, I'll just release you..."

"Don't bother!" Damaras snapped as he pulled his hands apart, shattering his restraints with dismissive ease. He walked forward, slamming a hand into the door of the cell, sending it spinning down the hallway. Redker just looked to him, his mouth hanging open.

"You..."

"If I had wanted to escape, I could have done so at any moment and there is nothing you or your entourage could have done to stop me!" Damaras interrupted him.

"I am the heir..."

"Which means you are not the Emperor YET!" Damaras snapped. "If the Emperor wishes me to destroy the Rangers myself..."

"Those were his orders." Redker interjected. Damaras just bowed.

"Then that's what I will do." He answered as he left the room.

Jake arrived at Allison's house, finding her in the yard, reading a book. He came bounding up with excitement, smiling as he saw her.

"Hey there beautiful." He greeted her, presenting the flowers to her. She just smiled as she folded away her book.

"Jake, hi!" She began. "Um...I came here..."

"When you weren't at Emma's place, I figured you'd gone home." He interrupted her, kneeling down next to her. "I guess you have a lot of work to do with uni."

"If you want a social life, don't study medicine." She commented, leaning over the edge of her wheelchair, placing the book down on the ground. "I caught some of that battle on the news by the way."

"You did?" He asked with a smile. "So...what did you think?"

"I think you were taking a lot of unnecessary risks." She remarked. "What was that cannonball thing all about?"

"I was just having a little fun." He told her.

"I was having a little fun in the drag race too...until I ended up roof-down in a flood canal and ended up in this thing!" She answered, hitting her wheelchair.

"It was just a bunch of X-borgs, it was nothing!" Jake told her reassuringly, taking her hands softly in his own. "I've spent the last two years taking things seriously, now that the bad guys are about as threatening as teletubbies, I was just..."

"You were taking risks you didn't need to." Allison reiterated. Jake just sighed. He knew how much Allison hated him taking risks. She had first-hand experience how fragile the human body could be. All it took for her was one bone breaking the wrong way, and she had ended up paraplegic. She had told him many times that she still held her breath when he was on the soccer pitch, taking hard tackles, never mind his battles as a Ranger.

"Look, I'm sorry, I know it was dumb. I just...I didn't take it seriously and I know I should have." Jake told her. "I promise I will in future."

He leaned in to kiss her, but Allison pulled away. He just looked a little hurt and confused by this.

"Allison?" He asked her, looking confused. She just took a deep breath.

"Jake, there's something we really need to talk about." She told him. "I think its best you sit down."

In another part of town, Emma ran down the corridor of the hospital, stopping herself in the doorway of her dad's room. She found Louise at the side of his bed, holding his hand softly. As she looked at him, he smiled.

"Well, today keeps getting better and better." He stated as she came into the room. He hugged her as she leaned over him. "How are you? You look pretty bruised up, are those monsters..."

"I'm fine dad; it's just a few bruises." Emma assured him. "You're the only one I'm worried about."

"You know me; I just need to rest up a bit..."

"Dad, you had a heart attack!" Emma reminded him. "You had a second heart attack in less than a year."

"Emma, I'm alright..."

"Your best friend was trying to kill you! What part of that is alright?" Emma demanded. Louise just glared at her, at which Emma backed down. Like she'd said, Eric had suffered his second heart attack inside a year. The last thing he needed was any more stress.

"Wayne...I don't blame him for what he did." Eric told her. "He's off the Christmas card list for sure, but if I'd been in the same position, I'd probably have done the exact same thing."

Emma just wiped away some tears.

"Wayne's been by to apologise." Eric told her. "He offered to turn himself in, but I told him I'm not pressing charges."

"You...you're not...?" Emma stammered. Louise just glared at her, indicating that it wasn't the time to lose her temper.

"Like I said, in the same situation I'd have done the same thing." Eric told her. "He has enough going on with his family now."

"If I see him again..."

"Believe me; I feel the same way, that was one of the conditions I placed on not pressing charges." Eric assured her. "He's heading back to Colorado; he's promised he'll not set foot in California again."

"It's not far enough for my liking, but I guess I'll have to live with it." Emma grumbled. "Now, will you please listen to the nurses so you can come home?"

"I think for once in my life I can listen to medical advice." He assured her. "I really need to get home, the food in here tastes like shit."

Back at Allison's house, Jake was sitting on the lawn, his hands cupped over his nose and mouth. Allison looked to him regretfully.

"Jake, please, say something." She begged him.

"Like what?" He asked her.

"Jake, please, this is difficult enough." She told him. "I didn't want to hurt you..."

"Oh, well that's fine then!" He snapped. "I guess all that's left is to sing zippidy-do-dah and skip off into the distance!"

"Jake, I didn't..."

"How did you expect me to feel Allison?" He asked her. "How did you expect me to feel about being dumped...?"

"Jake, I'm sorry; I know it's difficult..."

"Difficult? I was fighting a freaking WAR!" He snapped. "I've not been on a pleasure cruise, I've got scars places...I didn't even know I had places! It's not like I was off living it up or anything, and you just..."

"Jake, it wasn't like that, it really wasn't." Allison protested. "Things just...they changed. I've changed."

She saw Jake looking at her and had to wipe away some tears.

"I never wanted to hurt you, that's the last thing I'd ever want." She sobbed. "I couldn't just Dear John you, you mean too much to me to do that. I needed to do this in person."

Before Jake could say anything, his morpher bleeped. He looked to it and sighed. Allison just put a hand on his arm.

"Jake, please, I wish things could have been different." She implored him.

"So do I." He answered as he ran off to answer the call.

Meanwhile, at the Greyhound station, where many citizens were still lining up to get coaches out of town, a coach came in, and unusually, there was actually a passenger on it coming INTO Harwood.

She stepped off the coach, hefting her bag onto her shoulder. She hadn't needed to check it, she was the only passenger. It wasn't like there were may people coming INTO Harwood these days. As she looked around, she saw a man standing a little way from her, smiling.

"You haven't changed a bit." He greeted her.

"You lie divinely." She answered, coming over and hugging him. "So, the others...?"

"We're all booked into the Marriott." He told her. "It's not like we had a problem getting rooms."

"I'll bet, anyone with any sense is getting the hell out of town." She answered.

"So you brought it?" He asked. She reached into her pocket, pulling out her damaged, inert morpher.

"I don't know what good it'll do though, the damn thing hasn't worked in years." She told him. The man just smiled.

"Hey, if Gosei's anything like his old man, there's a reason for everything Kim." He replied.

"I hope so Jason." The first Pink Ranger answered as he guided her to his car. "I really hope so."


	21. Damaras' Battle

Unlike many previous attacks, there was no chaos, there were no screaming, panicking citizens, there were no flames, and there were no explosions. Damaras just stood in the city park, waiting for the Rangers. He knew they would come; he didn't seek to draw them out with pointless destruction. He just waited for them to come. They didn't disappoint. As they arrived, he was just sitting on the edge of a memorial fountain, waiting for them. His sword was propped up next to him.

"I thought there were six of you." He commented, seeing them arrive. Troy just looked to him.

"Orion..."

"I'm here!" Orion called out as he arrived. "The nurses..."

His words tailed off, as he looked on Damaras, his blood ran cold, and he fell silent. The others could see him tense up. They knew he sometimes got this way around Armada Generals, but this time...this time it seemed different.

"Ah, so YOU'RE the Silver Ranger." He commented. The others just looked at Orion.

"You've met before?" Troy asked him. Orion just nodded in response.

"This is Damaras." Orion introduced him. "He's one of The Armada's most powerful warriors. He's the one that turned Marv into Argus and..."

He stepped forward, gripping his morpher tightly.

"He was the one that led the assault on Andresia!" He stated. Damaras just lifted his sword into a guard.

"You take things like that personally?" Damaras asked him. Orion just let out a spine-chilling scream as he ran at him, morphing as he went, and launched himself at Damaras with his Silver Spear at the ready.

"Come on, let's back him up!" Troy announced as they saw Orion throwing himself into the battle with a ferocity that bordered on the insane. "If this guy's such a badass, I don't want to take any chances!"

In another part of town, at the Marriott, Kimberly was preparing herself a cappuccino. She was doing it herself because many of the hotel's services had been suspended. Given the recent Armada focus on Harwood, most of the residents had already fled the city, and the hotel was basically only offering rooms and little else since most of their staff had already left town. As she finished, she heard a little cough.

"Mind making one more?" Kat asked her. Kimberly smiled.

"Kat, you made it!" Kim exclaimed, hugging her friend, and at one time, her replacement as a Ranger. "I can't believe you made it!"

"Hey, I wouldn't miss this for the world." She assured Kimberly. "If this is the end, there's nowhere else I'd be."

"So...um...how was your flight?" Kim asked her as she started up the coffee machine.

"Long." Kat answered as she took a seat. "But I doubt it's as long as those guys' trip."

Kimberly's mouth just hung open in shock. While she knew that the Rangers were being assembled, she didn't for one moment think she'd see them.

"Andros?" She asked. "Zhane, Ashley, TJ, Cassie, Carlos...they're all here?"

"When the Son of Zordon calls, people listen." Kat answered.

"I guess so." Kimberly replied. "I guess it's just as well I did all those shifts at Ernie's back in the day."

"Want a hand?" Kat asked. Kim just nodded.

"I have a feeling we're going to need it." She answered. "The Miranoi team just arrived, and they look thirsty!"

Back in the city, the Rangers were finding out the hard way that Damaras' reputation was more than just propaganda. He was punting them around the street with gay abandon as he fought, using every ounce of his humiliation and desire for redemption to fuel him.

Damaras had been a desk jockey for a long time now, but back in the day, he was anything but. There were times he would be sent to a planet single-handed to take out the populace, and accomplish it in a matter of hours. He dashed Troy to the ground with a back-handed smash as he looked over the fallen bodies of the Rangers. Orion got to his feet, clutching his Silver Spear tightly.

"You will pay for what you did to Andresia!" Orion screamed as he ran at him, thrusting Damaras into a wall. Damaras brought his hand down, snapping the pole-arm and punched him away.

"You take these things so personally, I don't even REMEMBER your planet!" Damaras told him. "Do you think I remember every two-bit back-water shit hole I've decimated?"

Jake and Troy were the only ones still in the fight. Everyone else was unconscious. As they ran at him, Troy tossed Jake a blaster, while Jake tossed troy his sabre.

"Oh please, you think THIS scares me?" Damaras asked as he let out a power blast. Troy and Jake tumbled away, de-morphing as they did. Damaras had given everything, he was running on fumes, but he had finally taken all the Rangers down. He walked over as he saw Troy starting to get up.

"Go Go..."

"You will NEVER morph again!" Damaras yelled as he swiped the morpher from his hand, before elbowing Troy in the face. He slumped forward, at which Damaras caught him.

"Your world is built on compromise; I think I have a deal you may want to consider." Damaras stated. "You surrender without reservation, and we'll give you back your Red Ranger!"

"Troy, NO!" Emma screamed. Jake ran at him, swinging wildly, but it was too late, he had already teleported away. He turned and looked at the others, who were struggling to get up.

"Jake." Emma said as she finally got to her feet. "JAKE! We need you!"

Jake made his way over and started to help Emma with the others.

Up on the Armada Command Ship, Troy was tossed to the floor, dismissively as Damaras came back into the room. His hands were bound behind his back, so he had no way to defend himself as his forehead hit the floor.

"The Red Ranger." Damaras stated. "My gift to you, Your Highness."

"I asked for no gifts." Mavro growled. "I asked for..."

"This is Earth's greatest hero. He is the example to which they all aspire." Damaras explained. "If we offer him up..."

"The Earth will surrender to save him." Mavro stated. Troy was already pushing himself to his knees with his forehead.

"That's not likely." He stated bluntly. "The Earth will never submit. They'll fight on, with or without me!"

"That is so inspirational." Mavro answered, looking to Damaras "Would you be so kind as to shut him up?"

Damaras punched Troy hard across the jaw, knocking him out cold. He looked to the Emperor.

"I intend to do...what the Earthlings call...a Press Conference." He stated. "I will tell them they have 24 hours to surrender, or I will execute the Red Ranger."

"And once those 24 hours are up?" Mavro asked.

"I'll execute him anyway." Damaras answered. Mavro just laughed.

"Then go, take some of my troops with you!" He stated. "I want to see how this ends!"

In the Goodall house, Jake and Louise were running between members of the team, tending to their injuries. While Jake wasn't exactly a stranger to the whole situation of seeing someone he cared about hurt, it had been a LONG time since they had been this low.

Damaras had really done a number on them. He didn't remember exactly how he had been taken out of the fight, he could remember something about gattling cannons under his cloak. As he handed Gia a cup of water, his head snapped to the TV which was showing a news broadcast.

"Earthlings, listen closely!" Damaras began as he broadcast his message across every available channel. "The fate of your world depends on it!"

He stepped away from the camera allowing the people to see Troy, hanging beaten, bloody and defeated, his hands bound behind a cell phone tower.

"We have your Red Ranger." Damaras continued. "You're most revered and trusted fighter! You have one hour to surrender all your forces or he is history!"

"Don't do it!" Troy yelled. "It doesn't matter what happens to me, just keep fighting..."

Damaras slammed a fist into his face, knocking Troy out cold. He looked back to the camera.

"One hour to decide, live or die." Damaras stated as he cut off the feed. Louise looked to Jake.

"I have to go." He told her. "It's now or never!"

With that, he ran out of the room Louise just sighed.

"I have a feeling I'll need another first aid kit." She commented.

In another part of town, in a hotel lobby, the television was looping the announcement from Damaras, keeping people informed. As she put down her glass, she chuckled.

"So, how much of this do you think is the reason the room rate is only 29 dollars a night in the Marriott?" Lily asked. Tori just shrugged.

"I reckon at a hundred per room Hartford would have sprung for it." She answered. "So...like old times?"

"I really hope so." Lily answered. "I really long for the days when we won."

Back at the cell phone tower, Damaras was pacing. He had two Kingsmen and a handful of X-borgs with him for support, but this was his plan. As an alarm went off, he looked up to the Red Ranger.

"It seems being a hero doesn't mean much on this planet." Damaras commented.

"I told you before; the Earth will keep fighting, with, or without me." Troy shot back. Damaras came in front of him, levelling his sword at his throat.

"That is a theory I'm willing to test." Damaras stated. Before he could do anything though, the sword was sent spinning from his grip by a power blast. He looked across as Jake was standing, his blaster in one hand, his helmet in the other.

"YOU DARE?" Damaras roared.

"Yeah, I dare!" Jake answered. "And who dares wins right? Let's see how bad you really are!"

"Are you want to do this little boy?" Damaras asked as he picked up his sword. Jake just nodded as he adopted a guard.

"Go for it!" He snarled.

Back at the Marriott, some more guests arrived. As they started the process of checking in, a man with spiky hair came over.

"I'm guessing you're Jayden." He greeted him. "My name is..."

"Dr. Tommy Oliver." Jayden interrupted him, shaking his hand. "I wish it was under better circumstances, but I guess I'm honoured to meet you."

"So...it's you?" Tommy asked. "I thought your Red..."

"Lauren's on maternity leave." Jayden told him. "Trust me; you don't want to be in the same ROOM as her these days...hormones."

"I remember that." Tommy chuckled. "So...can I get you all a drink?"

"We'll be down in a few." Jayden replied.

Back at the site of the main battle, Jake hit the ground yet again. He was quickly learning that Damaras didn't earn his reputation on hot air. He actually had a lot of game. The Green Ranger snatched up his blaster, levelling it his way.

"Give up Green Ranger!" He snapped.

"Would you?" Jake asked. He just shook his head.

"Then I suppose we have to see this through to the end!" He answered. Jake blasted the two remaining Kingsmen either side of Damaras, before throwing his blaster aside, gripping his sword tightly.

"I guess we will!" Jake answered as he ran at him.

Back on the Armada Command Ship, Redker and Mavro were watching the battle as an X-borg served them wine. Mavro gulped it down as he saw the events unfolding before him.

"Your highness, these humans seem to be trouble." Redker stated. "The Green one is keeping pace with Damaras, that..."

"That just means that for once I've found a planet that will put up a decent fight!" Mavro told him. "The Eltarian..."

"Your Highness, we should..."

"You will NEVER dare to tell me what I should do again!" Mavro roared. He looked back to the screen. "These Rangers are...interesting."

Back at the site of the battle, Jake screamed as he launched himself into the air, his sword slicing down towards Damaras. The General caught it with his hand, which started slowly leaking blood.

"You should be proud Green Ranger; it has been decades since anyone drew blood from me!" Damaras stated bluntly. "Of course you...you're just...human."

Jake's breathing was already laboured, and he was sure that he was on his last legs, but he couldn't give up. He just looked to Damaras.

"If you think it's over, why don't you come and finish it?" Jake asked. Damaras came up, raising his sword, ready to strike Jake's head from his shoulders. He was staggered as he was hit in the chest with a barrage of power blasts.

Jake took the opportunity, snatching up Damaras' own sword and sliced him from crotch to forehead in a single blow. Damaras pitched backwards, before exploding. The others surrounded Jake.

"Dude, you were..."

Jake didn't say anything though; he just tossed down his sword and walked away.

Later in the day, Jake was standing on the porch of his parents' house. He was staring at an old photograph that was taken back in the day when all that mattered in his life was soccer. Things were so much easier then

He looked up as he heard the door opening.

"I was wondering when you would come." Jake commented.

"I wanted to give you some time." Troy answered. "Jake, you did an amazing job today..."

"Yeah, that's cool." Jake answered. "By the way, we are alone right?"

"Well...yeah." Troy answered. Before he knew what was happening, he was lying on his back, cradling a broken nose. Jake stood over him.

"Allison told me what happened." Jake told him.

"Jake!" Troy called out as the Green Ranger walked away. "JAKE!"


	22. Troy Explains

**A/N:** Sorry about the delay, but this chapter is one I'm sure a few people have been waiting for. Finally, Troy explains what happened.

Troy was on the Red Galleon being checked over by Noah. While there was first aid supplies much closer, he really didn't feel much like answering too many questions right now.

It wasn't as though injuries were uncommon for the Rangers, hell, only a few months previously Troy had ended up having a leg amputated as a result of injuries suffered in the course of his battles. The problem with this injury though was that it hadn't been suffered in a Ranger battle. It hadn't been a monster that had done it. It had been one of his friends...well...he wasn't sure he could still count himself as a friend after what happened.

Tensou was scanning his head to make sure that the injury wasn't more serious. He already knew his nose was broken; Jake had done a pretty good job making sure of that. He just knew that the potential was there for things to be a lot more serious.

"There doesn't seem to be any signs of a concussion, and there doesn't seem to be any secondary fractures to worry about." Tensou told him. The big worry was if there were fractures along the sinuses, weakening that area. If that was the case, a heavy blow could potentially drive the bones backward into the brain. "The nose itself will heal; Noah can realign it to make sure your breathing isn't adversely affected."

This was the only reason Noah was there. Troy would have preferred not to involve any of the others in this right now, but there were certain limitations to what Tensou could do. Being a mechanical owl, he didn't have any hands, so some of the more subtle manipulations like realigning his nose were best handled by a human.

"OK, this is going to hurt." Noah told him. Troy just looked at him sceptically.

"Yeah, because right now it feels like a big warm hug." He grumbled. Noah just conceded the point. He pressed his fingers to Troy's nose, finding the affected area, and pressed it back into place. He then looked out a dressing.

"You're undoubtedly going to have a mondo headache for a while." Noah told him. "I'd probably advise some co-codamol or something."

"I'll live." Troy answered as Noah applied the dressing. As soon as he was finished, Troy could see the way he was looking at him. He just sighed.

"OK, now that's done, would you mind telling me what happened?" Noah asked.

"I really don't want to talk..."

"Troy, last time I checked, you were fine after that battle with Damaras." Noah answered. "So that means this happened after then, and we haven't had any more battles since."

"Noah..."

"And now with all these cool new Dragon Spirit powers you have, I can't think of too many people that could get close enough to you to do that if you didn't let them." Noah stated. "Now, who exactly did this?"

"Noah, just drop it." Troy told him. "It's complicated. I'll tell you what happened, but...there's someone I really need to talk to first."

"Troy, round one ended in a broken nose." Noah told him. "Don't you think going for round 2 might be a little, you know, idiotic?"

"I'm not going for revenge." Troy told him. "I just have someone I need to talk to. It looks like I've waited too long for this already."

As Troy left, Noah looked to Tensou.

"What the hell was that about?" He asked. Tensou just shook his head.

"Hey, what do I know? I just fix the ship after you guys thrash it." Tensou replied. "Speaking of which, I've got a lot of work to do. The Emperor's not going to stop just because Jake cut Damaras in half."

"Yeah, I didn't think he would." Noah answered.

Over at the hospital, Emma and Gia came back to Eric's room, carrying a book with her. A doctor had come into the room to discuss some treatment options with Eric. He had asked her to go and get him some stuff to keep him occupied while he was in the hospital. Being his second heart attack in less than a year, it was obvious that the doctors really didn't want to take any chances. Whatever happened, it was clear he wasn't going anywhere any time soon.

As they got back into the room, she saw the doctor just finishing up with Eric. Louise was with him, and looked decidedly worried about what she had heard. As they got in though, they could see that there was another person in the room, someone she recognised.

"Dad, there wasn't much in the way of magazines, so I thought you'd like a book instead. It'll last you longer anyway." Emma began as she entered. "Dana, I didn't know you were in town!"

"You...you know each other?" Eric asked as he gestured between them. Dana just smiled.

"Well, my identity is public knowledge to anyone with an internet connection, so I guess there's no danger in telling you. Your daughter and I have a shared history in the spandex. I was Lightspeed Pink."

"Wait...Lightspeed...I remember that team." Eric said with a smile. Emma was really too young at the time to remember the Lightspeed team's tenure. She was only a baby, but being the first team that were open with their identities from the start, they were pretty huge news. He could remember the newspapers as far away as Harwood dedicated nearly half their pages to the story when it was announced the Government had created their own team of Rangers. "You were a Ranger too!"

"What are you doing here?" Emma asked her. Dana looked to Emma.

"Well, you remember that kid you helped me to get that transplant organ for?" Dana asked. Emma just nodded. "Well, given the success I had with him, when I volunteered to help your dad, the hospital jumped at the chance."

"You came out of hiding, all the way here, for my dad?" Emma asked.

"We Rangers stick together." Dana reminded her. "We've just been discussing your dad's options. I really think at this point in time, a bypass is the way to go."

"Wait...what?" Emma asked. "He's only just got through a heart attack, and you want to take him into surgery?"

"Emma, I wouldn't recommend it if I didn't think it was the best thing for him." Dana assured her. "Your dad's had two heart attacks inside a year. It's clear the damage is pretty severe. This operation could really improve his quality of life."

"Listen to her sweetheart." Louise told Emma. "We're all worried about this, but if Dana thinks it's for the best, we should consider it."

Emma just looked to Dana, her eyes pleading with her.

"You're absolutely certain this is the best thing?" Emma asked.

"There is a risk, but I'm confident it'll drastically improve his health." Dana told her. "I considered his case, weighed up all the risks and benefits and I really think that this is the best time for this."

"When...when would you do it?" Emma asked her.

"Well, as soon as possible." Dana told her. "I want to wait a few days to let your dad build up his strength, but it'll be within a couple of weeks."

"A couple of weeks?" Emma asked her. "You want to operate in a couple of weeks?"

"Sweetheart, please, I know this is scary." Eric told her. "I want to get well, and if this is the best way to do it, then I guess this is what I want to do."

He pulled her in closer.

"Besides, I have a good history of Pink Rangers taking care of me." He reminded her with a smile. "I'm sure I'm in good hands."

"I think you are too." Emma replied, holding his hand softly.

"Alright, we'll just leave you to it." Dana stated. "I've taken enough of your visiting time."

With that, she left the family alone. Gia held Emma as she sat with her father dejectedly.

"What's with the long face sweetheart?" Eric asked her. "I'm the one going into surgery."

"I'm just really worried." Emma told him.

"Hey, you just worry about those alien scumbags. Let me worry about this." Eric told her. He then looked to Louise.

"Um...listen, we've been talking, and we know you girls have a lot on your plate." Louise began, shifting nervously.

"Yeah, you could say that." Gia sighed. "We still don't know what to expect with this new guy, but if Vrak and Vekar were scared of him..."

"Well, we figured that all of us have had enough of bad news for a while." Eric announced. "So Louise and I were talking, and she let me know about an interesting little chat she had with Emma..."

"Wait, you're not serious are you?" Gia asked. Louise just went into her bag, getting out a jewellery box. Both girls' faces noticeably lit up as she handed it to Eric.

"Oh my god..." Emma exclaimed, starting to tear up. Eric just looked to the girls and frowned.

"You know traditionally the guy gets to ask before he gets this kind of reaction." He reminded them. He pulled himself up as much as he could on the bed, opening the box and pulling out a ring. He took Louise's hand. "Louise Miranda Moran, would you do me the honour of making me the happiest man on the planet?"

"Yes, of course I will!" She replied, letting him put the ring on her finger. The girls immediately embraced Eric and Louise.

"Congratulations!" Emma rushed out.

"Yeah, you really picked a great man this time." Gia answered. "So, do we get to be Goodalls now?"

"Only if you really want to." Eric told her. "You are over 18."

"Let's see, I can keep the name of the guy that threw me out of the house, then kidnapped me and tried to brainwash me into being straight, or the guy that put a roof over my head and saved my mom from that jackass." Gia answered sarcastically. "Yeah, that's a difficult choice."

"I know I can't wait to be a Goodall." Louise told them. "And Emma, I'd be really pleased if you'd agree to be Maid of Honour."

"Of course I will!" Emma shrieked. "But...I thought Gia..."

"Well, in the interest of being non-traditional, I was thinking Gia might like to be my Best Man...well...you get the idea." Eric answered. "We really want both of you there at the altar."

"It would be my pleasure." Gia answered, smiling brightly. The girls settled in for the rest of the visiting time, feeling a massive lift. Although they still had a lot of battles and troubled times ahead, Eric and Louise had been right, this would give them a much-needed boost.

Elsewhere, Noah swung by the Holling house, looking for Jake. All the Rangers had gone their separate ways to spend time with their families. Now that Vrak and Vekar were gone, there wasn't the same worry about anyone specifically targeting their families. To the best of their knowledge, the Emperor Mavro had not been present for the rest of the war. He had left his sons to take care of the Earth. It seemed safe to presume that all he knew of the Rangers was that they stood against him. He didn't care who their families were, or who they were under the helmets. To him, they were just soldiers standing in his way.

"Hey Jake!" Noah called out, arriving on the porch. He noticed that Jake didn't seem to be in a good mood. He hardly even acknowledged him as he arrived. "It feels good being back in your own home doesn't it?"

"I guess." Jake muttered.

"I mean, the Red Galleon's great and all, but I just couldn't believe what it was like getting back to my room." Noah stated. "All my stuff, my comic books, my action figures...I thought mom would have thrown them out ages ago without me there to tell her what I wanted to keep, but it's like I never left! It's like she kept it as a shrine or something."

"It's a room Noah." Jake responded. "It's the same as any other."

"What got you in such a foul mood?" Noah asked. "I thought you'd be stoked to be back. Your parents weren't exactly on board when you left; now you're a freaking hero!"

"Yeah, my parents are proud alright." Jake answered. "Everything's wonderful. We knock down one bad guy and an even bigger bad guy comes along, and now we just have to wait on HIM deciding to do something."

"Wow, way to dampen the mood." Noah grumbled. Just then, as he sat with Jake, he noticed something. His knuckles were badly bruised.

"Jake, what happened to your hand?" He asked. Jake just shrugged.

"I guess it happened when I hit Damaras." Jake answered.

"Wait, you were morphed when you fought him, the suit should have..." Noah's words tailed off as the two pieces of the puzzle clicked together. His mouth hung open. "You hit Troy?"

"What if I did?" Jake asked.

"Last time I checked, you don't make a habit of going around cold-cocking your team mates!" Noah stated. "Jake, the Armada's coming in strong; we know they'll strike any moment now!"

"I know that Noah!" Jake answered.

"We have enough problems right now Jake!" Noah snapped at him. "The Armada's causing us enough headaches, they don't need our help!"

Jake just turned away from him. Noah ran a hand through his hair as he tried to keep his cool.

"So, are you going to tell me exactly WHY you punched Troy?" Noah asked.

Jake just turned towards him, taking a deep breath.

"I can't tell you." He answered. "Not yet anyway."

"What the hell is that supposed to mean?" Noah asked.

"Just...trust me on this." Jake told him. "You'll hear all about it soon enough."

A little later, at the Goodall place, Louise and the girls had gone home after visiting time. They were all sitting down to lasagne when the doorbell rang. Gia looked to Emma.

"Well, neither of us is expecting anyone." She said with a little smile. Emma just looked to Louise, who nodded.

"You can always heat some in the microwave." Louise told her.

Emma got up, with a huge smile on her face. She went to the door, stopping by the mirror to straighten out her hair as she got there. She opened the door, finding Troy standing on the doorstep.

"Hi Troy, today's been incredible, you won't believe what..." Her words tailed off as he stepped into the light, and she could see his face. By now, his eyes were both black, and his nose was pretty unmissable. "...What happened?"

"Emma, please..."

"What happened, who did this to you?" Emma rushed out. "Are you alright?"

"Emma, I'm fine really." He told her. "I have a headache, but..."

"Hey, what's all the...WHAO!" Gia said as she arrived in the hall. "What happened to you?"

"Gia, would you please give us a moment?" Troy asked her. Emma just nodded to indicate it was alright. She just reached up to his face.

"Troy, are you...?"

"Please, Emma I'm fine, I just...I have something I really need to talk to you about." He told her, taking her outside for some privacy.

"What's this about Troy?" She asked him. He took a deep breath as he tried to find a way to begin.

"Emma, there's not an easy way to tell you this." He sighed as he struggled to bring this up. Looking into Emma's eyes, he could see she was already worried. "A lot about me has changed since I got back to Harwood."

"Yeah, you've already told me that." Emma answered. "I know but..."

"Emma, the thing is, a lot has happened." He told her. "When I lost my leg, all I could think about was getting stronger, to be able to come back and get back into the fight."

"I know and I was always hoping..."

"The thing is, it was a lot more than just my body I needed to get used to all this." He told her. "I spent so long being so angry that this happened, and I was trying to use that to fuel me, but in the end, it was holding me back. When Allison took me to the support group and I could see others learning to deal with things that happened to them, it really changed a lot."

"Troy, what is this about?" Emma asked him, starting to become worried. Troy just looked to her regretfully. The last thing he wanted to do was cause her any more pain. Emma had already been through a lot recently. Unfortunately, he knew this was something he had to tell her.

"I've been spending a lot of time with Allison." He told her. "Between the support group, and just a lot of other stuff, and somewhere along the way, something just changed."

"You and Allison?" Emma asked him. Troy looked to her regretfully.

"We realised we had a lot more in common than we first realised, and we just got closer." Troy continued. "Emma, I'm really sorry."

"Do you love her?" Emma asked him. Troy nodded sadly as he approached her.

"Emma, I would have told you sooner, but between The Armada and all this stuff with your dad, I really didn't want to see you hurt anymore." Troy told her. Emma just wiped away some tears.

"So, do you love her?" Emma asked him. "Is this it? Is it over?"

Troy just gulped as he struggled to remain strong. He never wanted to hurt Emma, but he couldn't deny what was in his heart. It wouldn't be fair to either of them to let things continue.

"Emma, I really am sorry about this." He told her.

"So am I." Emma answered. "I really think you should leave."

"Emma..."

"Troy, if you want to do what's right by me, please just go." Emma interrupted him. "I really have to not be around you right now."

Troy nodded in understanding, before leaving the house, closing the door behind him. As he did, Gia came out into the hall.

"Did Troy just..." As she arrived though, she could see Emma beginning to tear up. She just went over, hugging her tightly.


	23. Curse of Broken Hearts

On The Armada Warship, Emperor Mavro and Redker were in his chambers, watching and re-watching the footage of the Rangers' battle with Damaras. Mavro had sent Damaras, one of his most powerful warriors, against the Rangers in a do-or-die mission specifically to test them. While he had some measure of how dangerous they were, given that they had managed to dispatch both of his sons, and a respectable portion of his forces, he hadn't actually seen them in action.

He knew that under the suits, all the powers and all the fancy weapons, he knew they were humans. He had one of them in his grasp briefly. Many of the worlds he had conquered had been populated by humans, or species very similar to humans, and he had learned a lot about them. They were clever, and had a capacity for surprising courage and strength in times of crisis, but when all was said and done, they were still and inferior species. When everything was stripped away, when they had to stand before him alone, they all fell in the end.

Damaras had failed him disastrously, it was the reason he had agreed to the do-or-die mission, in order to redeem himself in the eyes of his Emperor. Mavro had leveraged that, knowing that it didn't really matter who won. If Damaras won, it meant the Earth was defenceless, but if the Rangers won, it would give him an important lesson in how strong they were. Damaras was capable of wiping out whole planets single-handed. If anyone could defeat him, they were an opponent to be respected...if not necessarily feared.

The Ranger he had in his grasp, the Red Ranger, the leader...was a teenager, little more than a child! By the looks of him, he had only recently matured into what by human standards would consider an adult. Such was the longevity of his own kind that Mavro wasn't entirely certain of what human age meant, by comparison their lives were little more than a hiccup to those of his kind, but he understood that he had reached maturity. He hadn't seen any of the others out of their suits, but given the way they interacted, the way they talked to Troy, combined with the fact they followed him without question seemed to indicate that they were around the same age. It was a little surprising to him to find out that the heroes the Earth relied on were barely more than children, but he had faced, and even used child soldiers before. It wasn't as though he could simply write them off.

"Impressive." He stated as he watched Jake finishing off Damaras, re-winding it and replaying it again and again. "These Rangers are unique, and powerful foes. I have seen nothing like them before."

"They don't seem that impressive to me." Redker snorted. "Give me an invasion force and I will..."

"To disrespect your foe is to court disaster and invite defeat!" Emperor Mavro roared, pointing at Redker in a threatening manner. "You will do as I say, and act only when I tell you and don't you EVER forget that!"

"Of course, Your Highness." Redker replied humbly. He hated being subjugated like this. He had been a member of the Royal Family all his days, something that held a certain position and respect in and of itself, but with the demise of both the Emperor's children, he was now next in line to the throne. His word was second only to Mavro's in the grand scheme of things, and he was eager to use his position to enhance his own reputation and gain his uncle's favour. He felt humiliated that he wasn't being trusted to go and lay waste to the Earth and demonstrate his power, but he couldn't risk angering his uncle. While Mavro wasn't likely to leave himself short another heir, since he had access to advanced bionics to repair any damage, he was not above crippling his nephew just to make a point.

"Go and take this data to Lavira." He snapped at him. "Have her update our tactical database throughout the fleet ahead of the invasion. The more prepared our troops are for whatever the Rangers can throw at them, the better."

With that, he handed the data device to Redker, who just bowed as he left. He made his way to the lab, finding Lavira inside.

She was wearing a large, heavy collar, a restraint that had been forced upon her for her failure in the eyes of Emperor Mavro. It was wired with explosives, set to detonate if she attempted to leave the lab, and disabled the weapons fitted into her armour. Mavro still valued her technological skill, but could not ignore the failure of Vekar's War Cabinet to keep him safe. Redker just leaned on the doorframe as he watched her working.

"What do you want?" She muttered, not even looking at Redker.

"I was asked to come here by the Emperor." He told her.

"Well, whatever it is, just say it and go." She told him. "I'm busy."

"Not busy housekeeping I see." He chuckled, heading over to a wafer-thin mattress in the corner, which had a rumpled blanket laid over the top of it. This was what Redker considered suitable sleeping conditions for her now that she was basically a prisoner. "We were kind enough to set you up with a bed and you don't even make it?"

"You call that a bed?" She asked in response.

"I suppose it isn't exactly as comfortable as my cousin's old room." He taunted her.

"Do not speak of him." Lavira stated. "Just say what you have to and go."

"That is no way to speak to your superior!" He snapped.

"You are in no way superior!" She responded sharply. He just smiled at her as he saw the anguished look on her face. He stepped closer.

"Well, maybe if you'd spent a little less time in my cousin's bed and actually got him to go through with that wedding you'd have a point, but since you didn't, you're nothing more than a lowly little grease monkey." He answered, giving her a small laugh. "I was born into greatness. You had to try and get it by bedding a royal."

He looked her up and down, taking joy in her torment.

"In what way did you ever think you would be...?" He was interrupted as one of Lavira's computers bleeped, flagging up an alert. He looked to her curiously.

"Well, let's see what you've been working on shall we?" He asked her. Lavira stepped aside, letting him look at the computer. It came up with schematics for something he hadn't seen before. He just looked dumbfounded.

"What the devil is this?" He yelled, seeing the schematics for a war machine he had never seen before. "These are schematics for a Megazord!"

"So you do have a brain underneath all those stinking scales!" Lavira answered as he glared at the screen. "I'm re-purposing the wreckage of Vekar's Zord into a new and powerful weapon."

"This is being built in the Hangar!" He screamed. He rounded on her. "How did you...?"

He was flung across the room as he grabbed her, a massive electrical charge rushing through him. He stared up at Lavira as she walked over to him, looking down on him with disgust. He looked shocked as she casually removed the restraint collar.

"I have built some of the most advanced weapons in the galaxy; did you really think your pathetic collar would be beyond my capabilities?" She asked as she threw it down at him in contempt. "I only stayed here until my weapon was complete."

She picked up a knife from the work bench, and turned back to Redker. He watched as she dragged it across her own face, cutting a deep gouge from just beneath her left eye, all the way down her cheek. She then did the same with the right.

"The Rangers took my beloved from me! I take the oath of the Tears of Blood that they will pay!" She threw down the knife and made her way out of the lab. She headed for the hangar, finding some Kingsmen standing in her way. They saw she was out of the lab, and immediately levelled their weapons.

"You are in violation of the Emperor's custody!" One of them announced. "Return..."

Lavira fired a barrage of missiles from her shoulder mounts, destroying them completely and tearing off the door. She went inside, finding her Megazord waiting for her.

"Nothing will stop me avenging my love!" She stated. "Not even The Emperor!"

The following day, Gia took Emma to the Brainfreeze, promising to get her some ice-cream. Although Emma wasn't in much of a mood, it was a while before she would be allowed to see Eric at the hospital, and Gia wanted to do what she could to cheer her up. Emma had explained all about the break-up, telling her every painful detail. Gia had spent most of the previous night soothing her. While she had dated Spider briefly, Troy was the first guy that Emma had completely given her heart to. The end of that relationship had devastated her.

As they arrived, they found Orion, Noah and Jake at the counter, talking with Ernie. While Orion had tried ice-cream before, they'd never had the time to take him somewhere like Ernie's, and they'd assured him that there was a whole world of difference between what they could pick up in a store, and what he could create. It seemed like they had taken the time to introduce him to that now.

They could see Orion look on in awe as Ernie placed the Brainfreeze Gut Buster...the largest and most extravagant creation on Ernie's menu in front of him. People rarely ordered it, partly for its hefty price tag of fifty dollars...unless someone by some miracle managed to clear the dish single-handed, a challenge that so far no one had accomplished, but mainly because of its insane size. It had roughly three scoops of every flavour of ice cream in stock, wedged into a bowl that looked more like a sink than any kind of eating vessel, interspersed with bananas, strawberries and raspberries and topped with lashings of cream, strawberry sauce, chocolate sauce, and so many sprinkles that it looked like a psychedelic dream.

"Hey, check it out." Gia said as she pointed over to them. "The guys have ordered a..."

"Gia, can we just go?" Emma asked. "I really don't feel in the mood..."

"Come on Emma, you can't hide away." Gia told her. "You've got nothing to be ashamed of, and we're all going to fight together at some time."

"I really don't..."

"Gia, Emma!" Ernie called out, gesturing them over wildly. "Come and see! Your new friend Orion is attempting the Brianfreeze Gutbuster Special Challenge!"

"Seriously?" Gia asked.

"He didn't know what he wanted, so he asked for a little bit of everything." Noah told them. "Ernie mentioned this and...he said he wanted a go."

"Oh come on Emma, we have to see if he can do it!" Gia said with a smile.

"I just really..."

"Hey Ernie, two of the usual." Gia rushed out, dragging Emma to the counter. Emma flopped down on the stool, knowing that there was no point in arguing. She really didn't feel like being around others, but Gia insisted on cheering her up.

"I'm really pleased to see you in here again. It's just like old times." Ernie stated as he prepared their order. He could see the look on Emma' face and quickly realised she was very down. "Is everything alright with your father? I called last night and they said he was..."

"Dad's doing well, he's comfortable." Emma sighed. She could see that Ernie wasn't going to let this go. "Troy and I broke up last night."

"Wait, what?" Noah asked. Orion seemed surprised too, but his mouth was full of ice-cream, so he couldn't say anything. Jake focused on his own ice-cream, trying not to let on he already knew what was going on. "Why, what happened?"

"He just...he said we've been growing apart." Emma told them, leaving out the detail that he had left her for Allison. "It...it hurts, but I guess...when I thought about it, I can kind of see where he was coming from. If I'm honest...I guess things haven't been right for a while."

Gia noticed that Jake's hand was heavily bandaged, and very quickly put the pieces together. One of the things that Gia remembered of the previous night, the thing that surprised her when she saw Troy was that his nose was clearly broken, an injury he hadn't suffered in any Ranger battle. While Emma had left out the detail that Troy had left her for Allison from the others, she didn't keep anything from Gia. If she was to take three guesses how Jake hurt his hand, she had a feeling she wouldn't need two of them.

"Emma, I'm so sorry to hear that." Ernie told her warmly. "Here, have this on the house. Broken heart discount."

"Thank you Ernie." Gia answered as he left.

"Man, I can't believe this." Noah reiterated, placing a hand on Emma's shoulder and stroking it gently. "I always thought you guys were rock solid. I can't believe it's..."

He tailed off as he too started to put the pieces together. He knew Jake had hit Troy, but he just didn't know why. Jake hadn't told him, just saying that he would know soon enough. He had a feeling Jake just wanted to wait until Troy told Emma himself. Jake was hurt when Allison had told him, it was understandable he would know what Emma was about to face and decided that hearing him blurt it out was only going to make it worse.

"I'm sorry too." Orion said, gulping down a mouthful of his ice-cream. "I guess the one advantage of the arrangement system we had in my village was that break-ups weren't common."

"I still believe in romance, but right now...I think that sounds pretty appealing." Emma answered. As she looked along the table, seeing Jake sitting, quietly eating his ice-cream, she noticed the bandage. Finally, she too managed to connect the dots.

"You...you know, don't you Jake?" Emma asked. Jake just nodded.

"I'm really sorry Emma." He answered. She just pulled him in, hugging her tightly.

"Know what?" Orion asked.

"I'm sorry too." Emma told him. "It really sucks doesn't it?"

"Wait...Troy and Allison?" Noah asked, doing his best to make it seem like he had only just caught up. Orion gulped down some more ice-cream.

"Wait...Troy and Allison?" He asked. The others just nodded. "Wow...um...I'm sorry to hear that."

"So...how's the hand?" Emma asked. Jake just shrugged.

"It looks worse than it feels if I'm honest." He told her.

"Well, the part of me that used to be Captain says that...we do still have to fight alongside him, and you could have put him out of action." Gia told him. "But the part of me that's Emma's best friend says...good job."

"Hey, check it out!" Emma stated, pointing to Orion's dish. Everyone knew the Andresian had a big appetite, but he had already managed to polish off a third of the dish. "He might actually do it!"

"Jeez...when I tried it that one time, I was seeing double by now!" Jake called out, getting up and standing behind Orion, rubbing his shoulders. "Come on big guy, you can do it!"

"Come on Orion!" Noah cheered, scattering his stool. Quickly, all the Rangers were gathered around, cheering him on as he ploughed into the insanely sized dessert.

Elsewhere, Troy was by the edge of a lake in the city park, just looking out over it. Allison arrived next to him, seeing him skipping stones across its surface. She looked up to him.

"How's the face?" She asked him. He just shrugged.

"I'll live." He answered. "I'm more worried about Emma."

"I guess this was never going to end well." She answered sadly.

"I just don't know how I'm going to fight with them now." Troy admitted. "I'm pretty sure by now the others all know what I did."

"Hey, you can't take all the responsibility." Allison stated, taking his hand. "We were both involved.

"I don't expect them to forgive me or go back to being friends with me overnight." Troy told her. "Hell, I'm not sure I expect them to ever be friends with me after this, but the Earth still needs us as a team, and right now...I'm not sure if the others will trust me."

"They know they can trust you with their lives." She assured him. "Their hearts...that's probably going to take longer."

Troy turned to face her, kneeling down and smiling at her.

"You are amazing." He told her. "I really don't know if I could do any of this without you."

He pulled in, kissing her deeply. Right now, things were looking bleak, but as he parted from her, looking into Allison's eyes, and saw her looking back with the same warmth he felt, he just knew that as long as the path to get there looked now, this was for the best in the end.

Meanwhile, in the Mystic Mother's Temple, Jordan was in a grove, working hard on his training. Gosei was still keeping things pretty close to his chest about the ritual; all he knew was that he wouldn't be part of it. He had just told him to prepare for another part of the plan. He was still not clear on what that was, but he had told Jordan he was in for the fight of his life, and told him to be ready for it.

He swung around, bringing his Robo Blade down, slicing into a Giant Redwood. He watched as it slid across the diagonal cut, before coming crashing to the ground. He smiled as in a flash of light; the felled tree disappeared, and then reappeared upright. A tree that should take centuries, perhaps millennia to grow naturally had righted itself in seconds; such was the power of magic in this place.

"I SO love this place!" Jordan said with a smile. He heard some clapping behind him, and turned to see the Phantom Ranger, otherwise known as Gosei approaching.

"Your work is impressive son." He stated. "You've come a long way in your training."

"Thanks." Jordan replied. "Are the others ready for the ritual?"

"Soon enough." Gosei told him. "For now, I want you to come with me, there's someone I want you to meet."

"Who?" Jordan asked him.

"The rest of our team." Gosei told him. Jordan just furrowed his brows.

"Team?" He asked. "What team?"

"The strike team I'm intending to take right into the heart of the battle." Gosei replied as he took him into a white marble chamber. Inside was a massive ship, made of a reflective golden metal, with long, elegant, curving surfaces. The nose came into a distinct point, and the wings swept backwards like a diving falcon. Jordan marvelled at the vehicle as he approached it. "This ship is one I designed myself. It would have taken me months to build, but thanks to the Mystic Mother...well...it's amazing what she can do in an hour."

The ship opened up, and four figures started to head down the ramp. Two of them were short, VERY short, perhaps only a little over four feet in height. They moved with a mechanical gait, and had disk shaped heads which housed a single red light strip like a visor. Behind them were two other figures, one a blue armoured warrior, the other, a golden armoured figure with a long, black cloak.

"So this is Zordon's grandkid?" One of the short droids asked. "He doesn't look much like the old man."

"He took his looks from his mother's side of the family. That's probably for the best." Gosei replied. "Jordan, I'd like you to meet Alpha 5, Alpha 6, the Blue Centurion and the Sentinel Knight."

"It's an honour." Jordan said as he shook hands with each of them in turn. "It'll be an honour to fight alongside all of you."

"The honour is all ours, Son of Gosei." The Sentinel Knight replied reverently.

"Well Jordan, our chariot awaits." Gosei said, gesturing inside. As he went in, followed by Alpha 5, Alpha 6 and Sentinel Knight, the Blue Centurion grabbed Gosei by the arm, holding him back, gesturing that he wanted to talk to him.

"Are you certain you want your son on the ship?" He asked. "You know what this mission is."

"I know, and that's exactly why I want him to come along." Gosei told him. "It's the only way he'll understand what has to happen."

"With all due respect..."

"I have made arrangements." Gosei assured him. "Besides, I've never gotten a chance to fight alongside my son. I may as well take this opportunity."

As Gosei boarded the ship, Blue Centurion just shook his head.

"Sometimes I'm glad I'm a robot." He stated. "I'll never understand biological beings."


	24. Jordan's Mission

On The Armada Command Ship, Emperor Mavro was in the throne room, now HIS throne room, looking over some tactical maps. Like his son Vrak, he didn't believe in going into battle unprepared. The footage he had seen of the Rangers' battle with Damaras had proven very instructive. He knew that he couldn't take them lightly. He didn't even look up as his nephew burst into the room.

"Your Highness, Lavira has escaped!" He screamed. Mavro just sighed.

"She took longer than I expected." Mavro replied. Rekder just stared at him, his mouth open in shock.

"You...you knew?" Redker asked him. Mavro continued to analyse the tactical database, planning his coming invasion.

"She was in love with my son." Mavro told him. "While that may be a weakness to some, it can be a useful motivation."

"But Your Highness..."

"I have already sent out word to the rest of the fleet." Marvo interrupted him. "They will be here soon. Then, the real invasion can begin. In the meantime, Lavira can keep them occupied."

"You're using her to wear them down." Redker said with a smile. "That is genius Your Highness!"

"Go and prepare. The time will come soon enough." Mavro instructed him. Redker left the room, leaving Mavro alone. He just shook his head. "Hopefully you will not prove to be as incompetent as my son."

On Earth, the Rangers arrived on the Red Galleon, finding Troy there, running through some exercises. He had asked Tensou to call them, knowing that sooner or later they would have to come together again. While he wasn't exactly looking forward to the meeting, he figured that at least it was better that he face them in a meeting rather than take the risk of the first time they got together again being on the battlefield. His dreams had returned, and he knew that the final days of the war were coming.

As they filed in, he could see their expressions, and could read their feelings. By now, he was certain they would all know about the situation with Allison, Jake, Emma and himself.

Looking around, he wasn't entirely surprised by what he saw. Jake stood, stony faced as he stared at him, his arms folded defensively in front of him. He seemed to be more upset than angry right now. One thing that Troy knew about Jake from the time he had been friends with him was that he was passionate. He was quick to anger, but once he vented, he quickly settled. He was clearly unhappy, but he wasn't in any danger of attacking Troy again. In some ways, he had to think it was worth the cost of a punch in the face.

Emma was just hurt. She couldn't look at him, looking anywhere in the room but into Troy's face. It was still very raw to her. By comparison to Jake, he was a lot more confident that a day would come that she would forgive him for what happened, but right now, it was still too painful.

Noah and Gia both seemed judgemental, and angry. He wasn't in the slightest surprised. Noah had been best friends with Jake for most of his life, while Gia and Emma were almost sisters. He knew they would be angry with him for hurting their friends. So far, that anger was bubbling just under the surface, but Gia especially concerned him. From the looks of her, he wasn't sure if he could expect another attack.

Orion was a little harder to read. He was friends with all of them, but hadn't been friends with any of them for very long. He clearly wasn't happy with Troy, but he didn't seem to take what had happened as being as much of a betrayal as the others. Troy wasn't sure if that was down to Andresian culture, or just the fact he wasn't as connected to the whole situation as the others. Either way, it wasn't a sure thing that he would follow Troy in battle any longer.

"My dreams have returned. I'm certain the final days are coming." Troy announced. "With that in mind, we're all going to have to fight together."

He could see the others staring at him, and took a deep breath.

"By now, I'm sure you all know what happened." Troy answered. "The coming battles are too important. We can't take any chances. With that in mind, we need to get rid of the elephant in the room."

Troy took a seat as he looked to them.

"I will be a part of this battle. Whether I'm leading the team or not is up to you. I will lead or follow as you see fit." He told them. "Either way, if there's anything you want to get off your chests, now's the time."

The others just looked to each other, trying to figure out who would go first. Eventually, Jake stepped forward.

In another part of the galaxy, Gosei's ship burst through a worm-hole, appearing at the edge of a solar system Jordan didn't recognise. He stared at the display, seeing unfamiliar worlds orbiting a bright red sun.

"This is incredible." Jordan stated. "I know the Eltarians had this kind of technology but...we're in a different solar system. The nearest star to our own is four light years away!"

"This one is 28 light years from Earth." Gosei informed him. He pointed to one planet. "That world there is called Veluria. That is our destination."

"Veluria?" Jordan asked. "What are we going there for?"

"Veluria is a world ruled by The Armada." The Blue Centurion informed him as he checked the power cell in his blaster. "The entire planet is a forge. They mine it for resources, before the factories spanning its surface manufacture weapons for Emperor Mavro's campaign."

"So...we're here to destroy a factory?" Jordan asked.

"Not exactly." Gosei answered. "We have intelligence that this world makes extensive use of slave labour. It is easier for The Armada to force others to work than it is to program robots to perform those tasks."

"Slave labour?" Jordan asked. He suddenly got a thought. "You mean...?"

"Andresians were among the greatest miners in the universe." The Sentinel Knight informed him. "It was a natural choice for The Armada to use them to man their mines."

"We've been tracking the sale of Andresian slaves." Alpha 5 informed him. "Sadly, most of them didn't make it, but there are thousands left, all of whom ended up here."

"So we're going to spring them?" Jordan asked with a smile.

"We're going to enforce the intergalactic anti-slavery treaty." The Blue Centurion replied as he headed to the back of the ship. Jordan followed as Gosei and the Sentinel Knight went with him. As the ship breached the atmosphere, they all assembled on the entrance ramp. It slowly descended, opening up into the open air. Jordan formed up his Robo Knight armour around himself.

"So, we attack when we land?" Jordan asked. The Blue Centurion just turned and looked at him.

"Land?" He asked, before stepping backwards off the ramp. Jordan watched as the Sentinel Knight also leapt from the ramp. Gosei looked to Jordan.

"Come with me my son." He stated, before he leapt out. Jordan just took a deep breath.

"Here goes nothing." He answered as he ran and leapt out of the ship, plummeting towards the ground. The four warriors slammed into the ground, sending up debris and creating massive craters in the ground. Buildings all around them shook as they landed. As they stood up, they saw a gold-armoured Commander came out of a building, flanked by Kingsmen.

"What is the meaning of this?" He demanded.

"Yellzor, you are hereby charged with the illegal purchase and enforced labour of sentient beings under the intergalactic anti-slavery treaty!" The Blue Centurion called out in a loud booming voice. "You have the right to remain silent..."

Just then, the whole area flooded as dozens of X-borgs, bruisers and Kingsmen flooded into the street.

"I'm guessing that's a no." Jordan said as he pulled out his Robo Blade.

"Then I suppose we can add resisting arrest to the list of charges." The Blue Centurion stated as he pulled out his blaster, firing it and destroying one of the Kingsmen beside the golden armoured Commander.

Back on the Red Galleon, Gia looked to Troy as it came to her opportunity to speak. She had a lot to say, but since Emma was in the room, she tried to rein herself in. There was a part of her that wanted to rush over and continue where Jake had left off, to hurt Troy as much as he had hurt them, but she knew that would only hurt Emma.

"Troy, what you did broke a lot of trusts." Gia told him. "I don't know what did or didn't happen between you and Allison, and to be honest it's none of my business, but what you did, the way you cheated...you did the one thing that none of us ever thought you would. You betrayed the team."

"For what it's worth, we didn't do anything while we were with Jake and Emma." Troy told the team. "We both agreed that this would be painful enough, we couldn't cheat on you."

"Be that as it may, what you did hurt Emma and Jake, and it broke their trust." Gia told him. "You have to see how that puts us in a bad place as a team. We've had The Armada breathing down our necks for almost two years, for the last year...we've had a significant part of the planet on our case too. All we've had is each other! The only thing we have is that we can trust each other, and you broke that!"

"I know, and I don't think there's anything I can say that'll ever make that right." Troy agreed. "I can't expect any of you to forgive us, and I certainly can't expect any of you to be our friends after what happened, but like you said, the one thing we have right now is each other."

He took a seat and looked to the others.

"So the only question is, with the world at stake, do you all trust me to fight by your side?" He asked them. They all looked around each other, uncertain how to respond to that.

"I...I do." Emma finally managed to force out, causing them all to look around. Of all of them, she was the one that had the most reason to turn her back on him. She finally looked up to him. "What you did hurts, but I know how important our mission is to you. I know your heart more than anyone else here. My heart is another matter, but I know I'd trust you with my life in a second. I'll follow you into battle."

"I don't like what you did." Orion stated. "But you've been a good leader up until now, and I've never doubted you in battle. I'll follow you."

"I'm in." Noah stated. "You're a great Ranger, even if I doubt you as a friend."

Gia pulled in close, getting right into Troy's ear.

"If you hurt Emma one more time, I'll end you myself." She warned him, before pulling back. "I'll follow you."

Jake just stared at Troy, before breathing a sigh.

"I might not like you much as a person right now, but I respect you as a Ranger." Jake answered. "I'll follow you."

Just then, they all heard an alarm. Tensou flew into the room.

"Rangers, there's an attack in the city!" Tensou squealed. He brought up an image on the screen, letting them see what was happening. They all watched as a green Megazord, with a face in the chest was tearing through the city.

"That Megazord...it looks like Lavira." Jake stated.

"I guess we did kind of kill her fiancé." Noah conceded. "She was going to be Queen of the Universe...and now..."

"It doesn't matter how much she's hurting." Jake put down flatly. "She's attacking our planet, she's going down!"

"Alright guys, let's do this!" Troy called out as he pulled out his morpher.

Back on Veluria, the battle raged through the streets. Slaves ran for their lives as the four warriors tore through the guards. Jordan sliced through a Bruiser, turning in time to see his father demolishing a couple of bruisers.

"Dad, look out!" He screamed as he opened fire with his Robo Blaster, smashing a Kingsman into oblivion. Gosei just looked to him.

"I knew he was there." He stated.

"Sure you did." Jordan taunted him, smirking a little. "You just don't want to admit your baby boy's better at this stuff than you."

Gosei opened fire, two blasts barely missing either side of Jordan's head, taking out a couple of Kingsmen that were coming up behind him. Gosei just strode over, patting him on the shoulder.

"I've been doing this a long time." He told him. "Just...DUCK!"

With that, Yellzor came crashing backwards through a wall, landing in the street only feet from them. The Blue Centurion followed him, grabbing him and picking him up.

"You have the right to remain SILENT!" He yelled, slamming him into the ground, smashing the concrete. "Anything you DO say..." He picked him up, swinging him around, smashing him through a wall. "...will be taken in EVIDENCE..." He leapt into the air, before driving Yellzor into the street, sending asphalt flying. "...in an Intergalactic COURT!"

He finished by throwing him through another building. As Yellzor started to pull himself to his feet.

"Do you understand your rights as they have been read to you?" He asked. Yellzor went for a blaster, but the Blue Centurion was faster, unleashing the full power of his blaster, tearing him to pieces. He put his weapon away.

"Tell me, do they EVER go quietly?" Gosei asked.

"My job would be boring if they did." The Blue Centurion replied. Just then, the Sentinel Knight joined them.

"The last of the guards have been destroyed." He told them as the Alphas landed the spaceship. "I'm preparing to teleport the slaves to Earth."

"Then it's time to make the call." Gosei told them. As the Sentinel Knight teleported the slaves to Earth, and the others boarded the ship, Gosei pulled out a communicator.

"They're on the way." He stated. "Take care of them. It's almost time."


	25. Lavira's Last Heartache

The Rangers brought the Red Galleon out into the city, quickly finding Lavira's Megazord. It wasn't especially hard, the Megazord had unleashed a fury on the city that even Vekar hadn't. Megaphones boomed out hellish screams as the Megazord lashed out at buildings, vehicles, anything that was unfortunate enough to be within reach. Troy pulled the Red Galleon aside as a truck was thrown by the Zord, narrowly missing them.

"Whoa, she is SERIOUSLY pissed!" Jake commented.

"It's worse than that, look!" Orion stated, pointing to the Zord. The Rangers could see the face in the Megazord's cheeks, modelled after Lavira's own. It had a couple of deep, red streaks running down the cheeks from beneath where its eyes would have been, under the visor. "She's taken the Oath of the Tears of Blood."

"Why do I not like the sound of that?" Noah asked.

"Some of the species in my sector were very warlike, they were constantly battling among themselves." Orion told them. "When a warrior had lost a lot, like their friends or their family, they would become so consumed with rage and grief they would take an oath. They would ritually scar themselves with the Tears of Blood, to demonstrate their grief, and would embark on a mission of death and destruction. They wouldn't stop until they met their own end."

"OK, that is pretty messed up." Noah gulped as he heard this.

"No, it makes this simple." Troy told them. "There's no reasoning with her. She's already decided that this is the end, so we end it!"

They quickly formed up the Megazord, landing on the ground a little way from her, drawing their sabres. Lavira's zord rounded on them.

"Rangers!" She screamed, seeing them. They started to break into a run, straight towards them, but as they approached, the visor in the chest face started to glow. The Megazord was smashed back, hitting the ground hard. Their controls started sparking as they took the hit.

"OK, did anyone get the licence plate of that truck?" Jake asked.

"That blast took out fifteen percent of our power in one hit!" Noah said, checking the damage report. "It's...it's like Vekar's Zord all over again!"

"We can't afford to take shots like that." Gia agreed as they pulled back to a vertical base.

"This Zord is my masterpiece! I took the wreckage of my Beloved's Zord, and turned it into the ultimate weapon!" Lavira stated. "Now I'll finally avenge my beloved Vekar!"

"Your beloved started a war!" Troy reminded her as they threw themselves at Lavira's Megazord, trying to keep themselves out of the way of its main weapon. They could only presume that like their own weapons, Lavira's megazord needed a while to charge between powerful attacks. Troy grappled with her Zord, trying to keep the primary weapon pointed away from them as he started to smash into the armour.

"Your pathetic Megazord is no match for my technology!" Lavira yelled as she managed to get a claw free, clamping it around the Megazord's head. She sent a massive charge through the cockpit, shocking all of the Rangers and causing several explosions in the Megazord's control circuits. They were only saved as Orion finally arrived in the Q-Rex, using his drill attack to separate them.

"Well that trick's new." Jake commented. "She's shorting out our controls!"

"I've bypassed them to back-up systems." Noah replied. "But our power levels are down another 20 percent."

"My Zord took a pasting too." Orion told them. "My levels are down 10 percent just from the residual jolt."

"Then let's bring in some back-up!" Troy announced, flipping out his Ninja Storm key. "Ninja Storm, star striker!"

"Ha! Don't you think I've thought of a counter for that?" Lavira asked, forming up a force field. The Mini-Zord's shuriken simply rebounded off the shield, before Lavira blasted it away. They all watched as the Zord just lay still.

"Mini-Zord!" Emma called out.

"It's alright, it's repairing itself." Troy assured her. "It'll just take a while."

"Look out!" Gia screamed as Lavira got the opening to unleash another shot with her main weapon. This time, she caught both Zords in its wake. Although the hits were glancing, it still caused them serious problems.

"Power levels down to..."

"Don't tell us the number Noah." Troy grumbled. "How are you holding up Orion?"

"Yeah...it's probably best I don't tell you the numbers." Orion answered. "But somehow she's fixed the squeak on my swivel chair!"

"OK guys, I think we can safely say we're in trouble here." Troy answered. "Everyone focus, we've got a serious fight on our hands."

Meanwhile, up on The Armada Command Ship, Emperor Mavro and Redker were watching the battle with interest. Redker just smiled.

"Well, who'd have thought that Lavira could make herself useful?" He asked. "She really was holding back all this time! I guess all she needed was the right motivation."

"That is my son you are talking about!" Emperor Mavro warned him. Redker realised his error and immediately backed up.

"Um...the rest of the fleet has arrived." Redker told him. "We are ready for the order to attack."

"Hold off on that for now." Emperor Mavro stated. "Have a contingent of Kingsmen prepared to help Lavira. It looks like the tide is turning."

"Still, she's done a number on those Rangers." Redker complimented her. "To think, she almost ended up being your daughter-in-law."

"Don't remind me." Mavro replied. "At least she has made herself useful."

Back at the site of the battle, Lavira's Zord staggered, being blind-sided by a Mega Roar attack from the Lion Zord. Her Zord was smoking, and some of the armour was beginning to show signs of damage.

"Come on guys, we have to pour it on!" Troy called out, slamming some more keys into the locks. "Ultimate Super Mega Cannon!"

They opened fire, at which Lavira powered up her force field again, but the Rangers poured on all the power they had, battering through. The shield shattered, leaving her exposed. Orion powered up the Q-Rex's ultimate attack, ripping through the Zord, which started sparking and massive clouds of thick, oily smoke billowed out.

"No!" Lavira screamed as her controls exploded before her. She watched as all her systems started to fail. "I was so close!"

The Rangers watched as Lavira bailed out, landing on the ground a little way from them as her Megazord exploded.

She picked herself up off the ground, glaring at the Rangers.

"Curse you Rangers! You destroyed my beloved! You destroyed my life!" She screamed. "Have the courage to face me, or the rest of the city will face my wrath!"

"Whatever you say!" Troy answered as the Rangers all bailed out of their Zords, landing in the street right in front of her. "If this is the way it has to end..."

His words were cut off as five Kingsmen blasted them all to the ground, forming up around Lavira. One of them bowed to her.

"We are here by order of the Emperor." He informed her. "We're here to assist you!"

"Well I hope he doesn't expect me to thank him!" Lavira snarled. "You destroyed my Prince!"

"Your Prince brought it on himself! He attacked the Earth and we defended ourselves!" Troy reminded her. "If you want to go the same way, then that's fine with us!"

Lavira braced herself, before her shoulder-mounts opened up, and she fired a barrage of missiles. The Rangers were all thrown off their feet, landing in a heap on the ground. Their powers had taken a beating in the battle already, and they could tell that Lavira was serious about her self-destructive mission. Emma was the first to her feet. She started to make her way towards Lavira.

"You...you do all of this in the name of the Prince?" Emma asked her. "You would cause all this suffering, destroy God knows how many innocent lives because you lost your fiancée?"

"I would tear this whole universe apart atom by atom for him!" Lavira screamed. "His murder WILL be avenged! You will suffer for destroying my Love!"

"THAT ISN'T LOVE!" Emma screamed back as she slammed the pink Mighty Morphin' key into her morpher, taking the small power boost from the transformation. She launched herself straight at Lavira, who was setting up another salvo. She managed to shoot them out of the air, catching Lavira in the explosions.

"Come on guys, let's give her a hand!" Troy commanded as he turned into the Red Mighty Morphin' Ranger. The others all quickly followed suit, taking the battle to the Kingsmen, leaving the way clear for Emma to face Lavira herself.

Back on The Armada Command Ship, Emperor Mavro watched on as the battle raged on Earth. He smiled to see the Rangers in action. He had seen the beating their Zords had taken, and he knew that with each passing moment, they were using more and more of their power. It didn't matter to him what happened to Lavira, indeed now he knew how unstable she was, he was sure he'd probably had to get rid of her for his own safety if she won. All that mattered right now was that the Rangers were weakening with every passing moment.

"Redker!" He called to his nephew. "Send out the order to the fleet. Begin the decent!"

"I will do exactly as you command Your Highness." He answered as he rushed to the command console. "All Armada ships, prepare your decent, the invasion is about to begin!"

Meanwhile, heading back at hyper speed, Gosei was sitting at a tactical console, when he heard a communication coming through. He opened up the channel.

"All Armada Ships, this is General Redker!" He announced. "I repeat, on the orders of Emperor Mavro, begin the decent! In the name of our glorious Emperor, the invasion is about to begin!"

"That's not good." Jordan stated. "How many ships do they have?"

"Millions." Gosei told him abruptly.

"How many troops?" Jordan asked.

"Considerably more." Gosei answered honestly.

"Then it appears the time has come." The Sentinel Knight replied. "I shall contact the Mystic Mother and tell her it is time for the ritual to begin."

"I'll contact the others." Gosei replied. "Stay close Jordan, you'll be needed soon enough."

Back on Earth, in a hotel, Jason was sitting at a table with his original team, all except for Zack, who was still in Washington, being unable to leave given his position as President. They were all catching up on what had been happening in their lives. They had all been assembled in the hotel, no small feat considering the number of Rangers there had been. Tommy arrived, smiling as he did so, with a huge man standing beside him. He was wearing denims, and a long, heavily decorated buckskin coat. He had some tribal hair decorations in his long, flowing hair.

"Hey guys, you all remember my brother David right?" He asked, gesturing to the man. Kim smiled.

"David Trueheart...I haven't seen you in years!" She replied, hugging him tightly. "What are you doing...?"

"I figured we could use a few substitutes for what we have planned." Tommy told them. "David's kindly agreed to join us."

"Are you sure about this?" Billy asked him. "What we're doing here...?"

"Believe me; I've thought about this a lot." David assured them. "I wouldn't be here if I didn't think it was the right thing to do."

"Well...he was a candidate for Gold Ranger if you remember." Billy answered. "If anyone's up to the task, I would say it's him."

"Then I guess all that's left to say is...welcome to the team." Trini greeted him. As they all shook his hand, welcoming him to the team, there was a bleeping sound, at which Jason answered his communicator.

"What is it Gosei?" He asked.

"It's time." Gosei told him.

"Got it." Jason replied, putting his communicator away. He approached the reception desk, beckoning over one of the receptionists.

"I'd like you to send a message to the rooms." Jason told him. "Meet in the main meeting hall in five minutes."

"Certainly sir." The receptionist replied. "And which rooms would you like me to send that message to?"

"All of them." Jason answered.

Back at the site of the battle, the Rangers were nearing the end of the battle. Jake sliced through the haft of his opponent's spear, splitting the Kingsman from head to abdomen with his Power Axe. He circled round behind it, opening out the slide, converting it to cannon mode.

"Gia, watch out!" He called out, pulling the trigger, while the weapon was still lodged inside his opponent. Gia dodged out of the way as Jake opened fire, smashing away the robot's arm, sending its arm and its weapon spinning away. Gia decapitated her foe with one of her power daggers, while throwing the other, which lodged in the skull of the Kingsman Jake was fighting. He managed to pull his weapon free, returning Gia's dagger to her.

"We've got them right where we want them!" Noah yelled as he impaled his foe, before using his Power Lance to pry him apart.

"Keep it up guys!" Troy called out, cutting his opponent in half across the waist. "We've almost done it!"

"Hey Emma, need a hand?" Orion asked as he finished off his opponent with his Dragon Dagger. She tumbled across the ground, landing a little way from him.

"No! I'm going to finish her myself!" She screamed.

"Well...at least take a little boost!" He told her, placing her hand on his chest. The Dragon Shield transferred over to Emma, and she felt additional power flooding through her. Orion gave her his Dragon Dagger. "Go and finish her!"

"This is it Lavira, you're finished!" Emma yelled.

"You cannot defeat me! I fight for my lost Love!" Lavira screamed, opening fire with some missiles. Emma started playing the Dragon Flute, accessing the protective powers of the Dragon Shield. She swiped at her with the Power Bow, then again with the Power Dagger.

"It hurts to lose someone you love! But you can't be angry at everyone else for that!" Emma screamed. "Love is precious, and it hurts to lose it! But you can't take the end of one love as the end of life. As soon as you stop believing you can love again, you really are lost!"

She powered up her weapons, smashing Lavira back into a building. The others were quickly by her side, lending her their weapons. Emma formed up the Power Blaster. She ran straight for Lavira, leaping into the air as Lavira once again fired missiles at her. They rebounded off the dragon shield though, allowing Emma to clear the gap, landing right next to her. She held the Power Blaster at point-blank range.

"You wanted to rejoin your precious Vekar so much...here you go!"

With that, she pulled the trigger. The blast tore through Lavira, leaving her completely spent. The Commander flopped face-first to the ground, before exploding, just as Emma powered back down into Corsair Mode. The Rangers all assembled by her.

"Emma, that was incredible." Gia complimented her.

"Yeah, that was amazing!" Jake agreed. "You were..."

As she turned back to face them, they could see tears running down her face. She looked up to Troy.

"Emma, I..."

"Don't worry, I won't end up like her." Emma assured him. "I just can't help feeling sorry for her that things had to end that way."

Just then, the sky darkened, and the Rangers could only look up, their hearts sinking. While the Rangers had been busy battling Lavira, the Armada had started their decent to Earth. They couldn't help staring at the sheer number of ships coming down. They could barely even see the sky between ships.

They were all blasted to the ground, and forced to De-morph as the ships opened fire with incredible ferocity, damaging a huge part of the city. Emperor Mavro didn't care about collateral damage, as long as he harmed the Rangers. They all struggled to get back to their feet.

"Man, that was brutal!" Noah groaned, clutching his ribs. "They've never come down in this kind of force before!"

"No...WAY!" Jake gasped.

"There's so many!" Emma added.

"There...there must be millions of ships." Noah stated, trying and failing to get a good grasp on the odds stacked against them. They all knew that The Armada was an immense force, but they couldn't even begin to fathom how huge a force they would be facing. "Where do we even begin?"

"That must be every ship in The Armada's fleet." Gia stated. "I guess the Emperor's finally decided to throw all his eggs in one basket."

"This is beyond anything I could have imagined." Noah stated. Just then, the Command Ship came into view.

"Ha, just look at them!" Redker stated as he stood by the window. "Did they really think we'd let them win? We rule the entire galaxy!"

On the ground, the Rangers watched as it projected a massive hologram of Emperor Mavro. The Rangers finally saw the face of the enemy they had been battling for almost two long years.

"Rangers, this is Emperor Mavro, leader of The Armada and rightful ruler of the universe!" He began his announcement. "Face it, you are hopelessly outnumbered! You cannot hope to stand against a force of this size! We will grind you down until we achieve the inevitable! Save yourselves and your planet any unnecessary bloodshed! Surrender yourselves to me and the rest of your planet will be spared my wrath!"

"Just like you spared Andresia?" Orion roared in anger. "We know your word means NOTHING!"

"We'll never leave the people of this Earth defenceless!" Emma called back.

"We'll never give up without a fight!" Gia added.

"We need to send this guy a message." Noah stated.

"You thinking what I'm thinking?" Jake asked.

"Is this enough of a message to get the point across?" Troy asked, pulling out his morpher. "If you want this planet, you'll have to take it from us!"

They all morphed into their Corsair Mode, standing in defiance of Emperor Mavro.

"Very well Rangers, then you have doomed yourselves and your entire planet!" Emperor Mavro replied. "Fire at will!"


	26. The First Invasion

Lerigot cut off the communicator, looking to his daughter Bethal, who was still on "hard labour" for her part in springing Jordan from The Library before Gosei was ready. Although things had worked out for the best, she had inadvertently put the whole plan at risk. Everything needed to go perfectly, if even one component of the plan went awry, then all their work, all their sacrifices would be for nothing.

"What now?" Bethal asked. "Do you want me to much out Bright Star's stables again? Because I swear, mystical unicorn or not, the stuff that comes out of that damn things stinks like..."

"You don't need to worry; your hard labour is over." Lerigot told his daughter, touching her shoulder gently. She felt her powers returning to her, and could only breathe a sigh of relief.

"Oh, thank the Gods for that!" She exclaimed. "You have no idea how much I missed even simple spells. Cleaning that temple took ages! And don't get me started on feeding Catastros...that thing bites you know!"

"Then perhaps you will think about the consequences of your spells a little more." He answered. He reached into his robes, pulling out his wand. He offered it to his daughter. "It is especially important when you have the power this offers you."

"Your...your wand?" Bethal asked. "But...you..."

"I need you to take my place as the planet's mage." He told her.

"You want me to look after the planet until you return?" She asked him. He just smiled and nodded.

"It was always my intention to prepare you for this day." He told her. He hugged her tightly. "Make me proud."

"I will." She responded, before using the power of her wand to disappear.

He went back inside the temple, where the mystics were all standing around in a massive seal, which had been carved into the floor. The Tribuneral of Magic, The Snow Prince, and Princess Shayla were all standing in positions around the edge of the seal, while the Mystic Mother was standing in the centre. Lerigot stepped up to the one remaining spot on the seal.

"We all know why we're here." The Mystic Mother stated. "Now, we can begin."

Torches lit up around the perimeter of the room as they started to chant. The Mystic Mother placed her staff in the centre of the room, standing it upright, at which it started to glow. An image opened up, allowing her to view the battle, knowing just the time they would need to act.

Back at the site of the battle, the Rangers launched their assault against The Armada, taking heavy fire as they did. The Megazord's cannon opened fire, taking down some of the ships as it braced against the return fire.

"Power levels are dropping!" Noah announced. "We're down to 57 percent."

"Tensou, how are the repairs going?" Troy asked as Gia and Jake concentrated on the battle before them.

"I'm working as fast as I can!" Tensou squealed as he avoided some flying debris. "As soon as I fix one thing, another two blow up!"

"We've lost targeting!" Gia told them. "We're down to manual aiming!"

"How are you holding up Orion?" Emma asked.

"I'm just not doing enough damage!" Orion told them, flying around in his Q-Rex in drill mode, firing into the fleet. "It's like when I take down one, five more are right behind it!"

His ship spun out of control as the Command Ship opened fire, scoring a direct hit. He managed to convert to Megazord mode just in time as he hit the ground, landing on its knees. He continued to fire his secondary weapons.

"Now propulsion is out!" He told them. "I can't take another hit like that! My Zord's on its last legs!"

"There just aren't enough of us!" Jake complained.

"Wait...that's it! Guys, we have our own fleet!" Emma reminded them, pulling out her Mystic Force key. "We have the auxiliary Zords!"

"Yeah, they want to bring in the reinforcements, then so can we!" Jake yelled excitedly as they unleashed the Mystic Dragon. It flew out, beginning to take down ships left and right. "Jungle Fury, spirits unleashed!"

Over at the hotel, the Rangers were all assembling in the main reception hall of the hotel. It had been set up for a presentation, hired for the length of their stay in order to be ready for when they were about to act. They had all come, all ready for the battle ahead. As she made her way to her seat, sitting down next to Leo, the Red Galaxy Ranger looked to Karone.

"All of this must seem pretty familiar huh?" He asked her. She just nodded. There had been one other intergalactic invasion of Earth on this scale. Karone was all too aware of that, back then she was still brainwashed as Astronema, and had been there when it happened. Although she was under mind control and wasn't really responsible for what happened, there was a part of her that still felt like she was. It was just one of the reasons that when Kendrix, who had responsibilities of her own with the children she and Kai had since her resurrection had asked her to take her place, to ensure that the kids didn't have to watch both parents go off to battle, she accepted without a second thought.

"I was on the other side last time." Karone answered. "But I love being a Ranger."

"Hey, I don't recognise everyone here." Mike commented, looking around.

"Apparently there are a few people that others chose to come along." Leo explained. While most of the other Rangers maintained communications with each other, the Reds especially were charged with ensuring they kept up to date with the latest goings on of the current teams. "Over there, we have David Trueheart, Tommy's brother, and there...we have..."

"So, the rumours are true then." He replied. "They're really going to try it."

"We didn't bring these things for nothing." Tori stated from the row behind them, holding up the remains of her broken, inert morpher.

"Can you all take your seats please?" Jason announced from the front of the room, causing them all to file into their seats, looking up to the stage. They all sat with baited breath, waiting to hear Jason begin. "I see a lot of familiar faces in this room. I also see a few new faces among us."

The first Red Ranger gripped the edges of the podium as he looked out over the crowd, observing them all.

"Most of you know exactly what you've agreed to. For some of you though, this will be the first time you've ever been asked to handle this responsibility. However, the one thing that unites us, the one thing that connects us all is that not one person in this room has been forced into making this choice. Each of you has made the decision to be here of your own volition." He continued. "We're about to begin very soon, so this is without exaggeration your last chance to change your mind. If you don't leave now, you're in this until the end, one way or another. If you want to leave, now is the time."

There was a slight murmur from around the room, but as they took a moment, looking around, there was not one person that got up from their seat. Jason just smiled.

"Then I say this with all sincerity. I will be proud to fight by your side, each and every one of you." Jason told them. "Now, there is one of our number who is not currently with us, but he will be joining us soon enough. In the meantime, I suggest you all get to know each other. Soon enough, we'll have to rely on each other. May the Power protect you."

Back at the site of the battle, the Rangers brought forth all the zords at their disposal, sending them forth against the alien fleet. Each new Zord brought forth all of its power, ploughing through the enemy and taking out ships with everything at their disposal. Jake let out a whoop of delight as the Turbo Falcon blew up a flotilla a little way from the Megazord as it continued to fire its cannon.

"This is it! Keep it up guys!" He screamed. "I can't even count the number of ships we've taken out!"

"We're not out of the woods yet, more are coming down!" Orion told him, as his Q-Rex started to swing at low-flying ships with its arms, sending them spinning to the ground.

"There's no end to them!" Gia shrieked. "They just keep coming!"

Her console exploded, and she was barely able to shield herself from the flames bursting forth. She grabbed a fire extinguisher, putting out the flames. "I just lost my console!"

"The cooling system is all but shot!" Noah told them. "In about ten more shots, the cannon's going to overheat!"

Jake was thrown across the room as his own console exploded. He quickly scrambled to his feet.

"Damn it, we've just lost another station!" He called out.

"Noah, what are we facing?" Troy asked.

"System's power is down to 26 percent!" He told them. "If we don't finish this soon..."

"MYSTIC DRAGON!" Gia screamed as she watched it getting blasted out of the sky. The ruined, flaming form of it fell to the ground, breaking apart as it did so.

"The Delta Runner's gone too!" Jake stated, pointing to the screen, where they watched as it blew apart under the relentless assault of The Armada. "Shit! We just lost the Turbo Falcon too!"

"The Lion Zord's down!" Emma told them as she watched it fall. It teleported away, presumably back to the Animarium to heal, but they knew that it would not be ready in time. Functionally, it was out of the battle. They then took another blast, which knocked the Megazord right onto its back.

"We're down to 8 percent!" Noah told them. "One more hit, and it's over!"

"And The Armada ships just keep coming!" Gia responded.

"Oh crap!" Noah stated as he saw the Command Ship taking aim straight at them. "Uh...guys..."

"NO!" Orion called out as his Q-Rex broke into a run, throwing itself into the path of the barrage. As the Command Ship opened fire, the Q-Rex took the hit, full on, being blasted apart. Smoking, flaming wreckage flew in all directions as it was utterly destroyed.

"ORION!" Emma screamed, seeing the Zord being blown to pieces. "NO! YOU MONSTERS!"

"Guys, they're powering up for another blast!" Noah told them. "We have to abandon ship!"

"Tensou, get the key chest to safety!" Troy yelled. "Everyone, bail out before..."

He wasn't quick enough though. The Armada Command Ship fired one more barrage, at which the Megazord, the last Zord in their arsenal, exploded devastatingly. The Rangers were thrown in all directions, scattering around the city. Only the power of their suits saved them from being incinerated, but as they landed in the ruins of downtown Harwood, they were left unconscious, broken and defeated.

Up on The Armada Command Ship, Redker rejoiced over the result of the invasion. He stepped away from the window, where he had observed the destruction of the Zords.

"It's over! Victory is ours!" He declared excitedly, looking to his uncle. "Nothing compares to the thrill of crushing your enemies!"

"Yes!" Mavro agreed. "But there is one more thing that will make our victory all the sweeter!"

He activated his holographic message board, once again allowing him to address the people of Earth directly.

"People of Earth, Hear me! I am Emperor Mavro! Leader of The Armada! We control this entire Galaxy! Only your Power Rangers dared to resist us, and you've seen what became of them! We've won!" He announced as the citizens looked on in horror. "The Power Rangers have been destroyed, and you're all next! I will grant you one last night to savour your despair! Tomorrow at dawn, we're coming back to wipe your pathetic species from the face of existence! So says Mavro, rightful ruler of the Universe, and the new owner of your pathetic planet!"

With that, the rest of the fleet started to rise back into the sky again, blasting off into orbit. The citizens of Harwood could only feel despair as they started to sift through the ruins of their city, desperately looking for anything that would help them survive that one, final night.

In the Mystic Realm, the Mystic Mother saw the moment of the Rangers' defeat, and knew that the time had come. This was what Gosei had planned for all along. She raised her hands into the air.

"And so it is, that we, the Guardians of the Earth unite our Power." She declared.

"We unite our power as one!" They all chorused. "We, the Earth's chosen guardians offer our power, and observe our destiny."

Princess Shayla pulled a long, curved dagger from her robes, at which the others all followed suit.

"And as Guardians of the Earth, we give our all to defend it." She declared, gripping it tightly. "Even at the cost of our own lives."

With that, she plunged the dagger deeply into her own heart. One by one, the others repeated her words, falling to the ground. Their blood leaked into the channels carved into the floor, forming the spell seal in their own blood. The Mystic Mother took her own dagger, and completed the ritual, piercing her own heart. The spell seal started to glow brightly as her temple exploded, sending out a power wave throughout the entire planet.

In the ruins of Harwood, Tensou was carrying the Key Chest in his frantic search for the Rangers, but it started to glow. In alarm, he dropped the chest, which broke open as it hit the ground. He could only watch as all the Ranger keys started to glow, before disappearing.

"What...what happened?" He shrieked! "Where did they go?"

He searched around, but could find no sign of them. With no idea what had happened to them, he went back to his priority mission of finding the Rangers.

In the hotel, the Rangers all watched as their morphers started to glow, and re-form. They all felt the power coursing through them, and could only be amazed. Many of them had lost their powers years before, some of them hadn't had powers in almost 20 years.

"This...this is amazing!" Kira announced, staring at her morpher as Conner and Ethan came to her side. "It worked, it actually worked!"

"Man, I am so amped up for this!" Wes stated as he strapped his morpher to his wrist. "I wish The Armada would come down now so we could finish this!"

"There are still people in the city that need help." Carter reminded him. "We should be out there helping them."

"All in good time." Jason told him. "In the meantime, there's one thing I think we should all see."

With that, he turned on a projector, which projected a news broadcast onto the wall of the meeting hall. The Presidential Seal was on the wall, and there were some camera flashes as the President, Zack Taylor stepped up to the podium. He gripped the edge of the podium as he looked out over the assembled press. He took a deep breath as he prepared to begin.

"Ladies and gentlemen, I have scheduled this State of the Union speech to address the events of the last few hours in Harwood." He began. "As many of you know, the Power Rangers have been fighting The Armada for the last year. It is a battle that has seen its share of highs and lows. As many of you have no doubt seen in the news, Emperor Mavro has declared that in 24 hours that he will be back to begin the final stage of his invasion. I must ask that you do not panic in these troubled times."

He stepped around the podium.

"The final battle will take place in Harwood, and I can only ask that the world unite to tell those invading in once voice that we will never surrender!" Zack declared. "We have fought against tyranny and oppression before, but now we fight for our very survival, and I invoke every person on Earth, regardless of their race, creed or religion to send the Rangers their support and their well wishes."

He then looked to his Secret service agents as he prepared for the last part.

"It is with a great deal of consideration that I have decided to hand the reins of control to the Vice President at this time." He told them, causing a murmur from the press. "In my final act as President, I have signed a full presidential pardon for any offences relating to the Corsair Rangers. I implore the other world leaders to do the same in recognition of their services to the world."

"Mr President, you're abandoning your post?" One of the journalists called out. Zack just smiled.

"You'll be in good hands with the Vice President." He assured them. "Right now, there's somewhere I'm needed more. It's Morphin' time!"

With that, he morphed into the Black Dino Ranger for the first time in two decades, before disappearing in a flash of light. For what was possibly the first time in history, the entire nation was left silent.

Back in the hotel, the assembled Rangers watched the State of the Union Address, and could hardly believe what they had seen. Zack appeared in the room, and de-morphed.

"Well, that was...different." Tori stated. "I'll bet the next guy won't have a broadcast that memorable."

"There's nowhere else I'd be right now." Zack told them. "Now, there are a lot of people out there that need help."

"You heard the man." Carter replied, grabbing his jacket and his fire department helmet. "Come on."


	27. The Ranger Refugees

The city of Harwood lay almost completely in ruins. Emperor Mavro had concerned himself more with hitting the Rangers with his barrage than anything else, and he believed very heavily in the hailstorm method of warfare. Firing enough shots in the right direction, he was bound to hit what he intended to hit, even if most of the shots ended up missing.

There was no way for people to know right now what the casualty figures were, or the true extent of the destruction. All they knew was that in every street, a minimum of half the buildings had simply disappeared. The emergency services were stretched to the limits, being both under-equipped, and under-manned for a crisis of this magnitude, even if they HAD been at full strength, and their resources hadn't been caught in the same destruction.

The streets were strewn with rubble, making moving around hard going. The few vehicles still operational were moved in order to allow the few ambulances and fire engines still working access. Larger vehicles like vans and trucks were pressed into service to alleviate some of the pressure. People were crying out for help from all over the city, pleading that someone, anyone that could help them would hear them and not simply walk by.

Carter was in his element in this situation. Even before being a Ranger, he had been a fire officer. He had literally been doing this kind of thing his entire adult life. He hadn't seen anything on quite this scale before, but as soon as he was running through ruined, burning streets, his instincts and his training kicked in. He found a couple of people in the ruins of what looked like it had been a car dealership, struggling with some wreckage, and crying out for help. He ran over to their side, finding them trying to lift a fallen girder off one of their co-workers.

"Hold up, don't do anything!" He called out to them. "Dana, get over here!"

"He's trapped! We have to..."

"He's not in any immediate danger; the flames are nowhere near him." Carter told them. "We need to check him out first, Dana!"

"I'm here!" She responded, getting to his side. She saw the situation the man was in, and started to get to work examining him as Carter held the others back. She could understand their panic and frustration as they started yelling at Carter, screaming and swearing at him for stopping them help out their friend, but she knew what Carter was thinking. The man wasn't in any immediate danger, so the best thing for now was to leave him where he was while Dana checked him out. She needed to look for signs of open wounds, and possible internal bleeding before they did anything else. If he did have any such injuries, then it was possible that only the pressure of the girder was keeping him from bleeding out. Removing that pressure could kill him.

She satisfied herself that there weren't any open wounds to worry about. There might still be internal injuries, but nothing that couldn't be stabilised in a safe time period.

"Carter!" Dana yelled, making herself heard over the two men fighting with him to get past. "Carter, we're clear! Let's get this thing off him!"

Carter let the two men get back to the girder, and joined them, positioning himself under it. They lifted it up, struggling against its weight. As soon as it was high enough, Dana slid the man out.

"He's clear!" She told them, at which they let the girder down. "There's a field clinic two streets that way. He'll need medical care."

Carter looked around, finding an overturned shopping cart in the street. He quickly righted it, before picking the man up, and sitting him in it as gently as he could.

"This should help you get him there." Carter told them.

"Thank you!" One of them replied, as they started to wheel him down the street. "Um...sorry about..."

"Don't give it another thought!" Carter called back as they left.

"Come on, there are more people to help." Dana reminded him. He just nodded, and followed her as they carried on their search.

In another part of town, Orion started to stir, feeling something warm and wet on his face. He flinched as he felt it slapping against his face, trying to swat it away. He eventually came to enough to realise that it was a dog, licking his face.

"Hey mister, are you alright?" He heard someone saying. Orion just looked to him, trying to focus. It was a young girl, maybe only around fifteen or so, who had found him in the wreckage. "Do you need me to get a doctor or...?"

"I'll live." Orion grunted as he pulled himself to his feet. He struggled to get his balance, using a wall to help him to his feet. The girl helped him steady himself.

"You look pretty banged up, you should really..."

"I'm fine, honestly." He assured her. "My friends, I need to find my friends!"

"Um...I didn't see anyone else here." She told him. "Max here found you. I'm Sheona. Listen, do you have anywhere to go?"

"What about you?" Orion asked. "Do you have anywhere to go?"

"Well, some friends and my family are right over there." She told him, pointing to some people positioned outside a supermarket. "We...um...we're trying to get in. It's one of the few buildings in the neighbourhood that's still standing..."

"And there's food in there." Orion concluded. He knew that the shop was closed, and strictly speaking nothing inside belonged to the people here, but in this situation, he sincerely doubted that anyone would care if some food went missing. It was survival, people needed somewhere to stay, and they needed to eat. He went over to the door, where he found some of the group trying to break down the door with an old shopping cart. He gestured them aside.

"Let me have a go." He told them. He picked up a piece of asphalt, and scraped it against the glass, making a gouge. He scored another line, making a cross, before taking the cart. Rushing the door, the glass shattered. The crowd cheered as he threw the cart aside, letting them in.

"Wow, that...that was..."

"I just needed to weaken the glass." Orion assured her. "I was a miner back home. I know a little something about breaking stuff."

"Well, the offer's still open." She told him. "I doubt we're going to eat all..."

"I appreciate the offer, but I really do need to find my friends." Orion assured her. "But if you don't mind me taking some water and some canned food..."

"I think that's the least we can do." Sheona told him. "I hope you find your friends."

"I hope I do too." He replied, heading inside to get his supplies.

In another area of the city, Jake was starting to come to. He had been out for some time, and was finally brought around as some nearby flame flickered across his hand. He snapped back to consciousness, pulling it out before he was burned too badly. He looked around, finding the whole area completely ruined. The Megazord had ejected them before it was destroyed, and he was sure only the suits stopped them going with it.

He knew the others had to be close by. They had all ejected at much the same time, so they had to be within a block or so. He strained his eyes to see through the heat ripples.

"NOAH!" He called out. "EMMA!"

He started to clamber over broken concrete, his body aching from his numerous injuries.

"GIA!" He yelled as he looked for any signs of them. "ORION! TROY!"

His footing slipped, and he tumbled down some rock, hitting the concrete. He swore loudly as he got back up.

"Jake!" He heard someone saying weakly. Jake could recognise the voice, and he immediately started looking around. He eventually saw Noah trapped a little way off. He started to shift rubble off him, helping his friend up. "Noah, are you alright?"

"My glasses are broken." He told him. Jake knew how bad Noah's eyesight was. He wasn't exactly BLIND without his glasses, but he wasn't too far off it. He positioned himself under Noah's arm.

"Don't worry, I'll guide you." He assured him. "Where should we go?"

"The mall." Noah told him. Jake just looked at him curiously. "It was built after the new Earthquake Codes were brought out. It's the most stable building within four city blocks, it's central and there's food, water and clothing there. It's the place people are likely to go."

"Well, you're usually right." Jake stated. "I know better than to start doubting you now."

Elsewhere, Troy found himself being shaken gently awake. He didn't know how long he had been unconscious, but as he was shaken awake, he looked up, seeing Allison above him. His vision started to come back to him as he tried to sit up.

"Don't move." Allison told him. "You were pretty banged up."

"Where are we?" He asked.

"The...um...we're in the mall." She told him. He could see that she was sitting on the end of the bench someone had placed him on as a make-shift stretcher. His head was resting in her lap.

"The mall?" He asked. "Allison..."

"My dad carried me here. The streets aren't too wheelchair friendly right now." She told him. "Mr Burley found you when he was coming here with some of his students. They carried you here."

"Is there any sign of the others?" He asked her.

"Not yet." Allison told him. "But there are more people being found all the time. No doubt..."

"Can I get some help here?" They heard someone yelling from the door. Gia stumbled in the door, half-dragging Emma with her. The Pink Ranger seemed to be limping badly. As she handed Emma to some of the other refugees to get checked out, Gia made her way over to Troy as he sat up straight.

"Well, glad to see you're alright." She said a little coldly. Troy had to appreciate that it didn't exactly look good that Gia had all but dragged Emma, his ex into the place, only to find him lying with his head on his new girlfriend's lap. Allison just sighed.

"He only just came to." She informed her. "He was dragged in here too."

"Whatever." Gia muttered, sitting down with him. She just looked around the place, seeing everyone pulling together as much as they could. The store-owners who had gotten to the mall had opened their shops, and started handing out blankets, food and drinks for the refugees that had made it to safety. The stores whose owners weren't there were quickly broken into, in order to find anything useful. The power was out, so battery powered torches and gas barbecues were the call of the day. Trash cans had been re-purposed as firing barrels for warmth. It wasn't as though anyone was worried about the fire alarm going off without power.

"Things are pretty bad out there." Gia told him. "I didn't see one street that hadn't been levelled."

"It's the same all over." Jake announced as he came in, guiding Noah over to them. "We walked through it all."

"People are losing hope." Noah sighed. "No one even noticed who we are. Either that or...they didn't care."

"Emma?" Jake asked. Gia just pointed to where she was being treated.

"She's here." Gia told them. "Did anyone see Orion?"

"We never saw him." Jake said dejectedly. "You don't think...?"

"If anyone could survive this, it's Orion." Gia interrupted him. "By all rights he should have died about a dozen times already. He's made of iron."

Emma came over after being cleaned up, wrapped in a blanket. Gia opened up her blanket, letting her inside and huddling close to them.

"It looks hopeless." Noah commented. "We've lost all the Zords...and there's still no sign of Tensou or Orion."

"People are starting to think it's over." Jake sighed. "Looking at this, I guess it's hard to blame them."

"We've no Zords, we're hopelessly outnumbered, and we still have no idea where Orion is, or even if he's still..." Gia rhymed off, summing up their situation. "So, what do we do?"

"We keep fighting." Troy announced. "This changes nothing."

"Troy..."

"Allison, I know what this looks like, but you heard Mavro's announcement. He's coming back; he's going to destroy everyone whether we fight back or not." Troy told her. "That was always going to be the end game."

"Yeah, we're the Power Rangers right?" Jake added. "We can't stop fighting, no matter what!"

"If I'm going down, I'm going down swinging." Emma told them bluntly. "I've always prided myself on fighting for the planet. I can't stop, no matter how bleak it looks."

"Then that's it, we fight!" Troy stated. "When the Armada come back, we give them everything we have left!"

"I'm in." Noah stated. "You know...if someone can get me to the opticians. I kind of need to be able to see what I'm shooting at."

"I'll get you there buddy." Jake told him, helping Noah up, and guiding him away. The others just started to settle in for the night, hoping to rest up and gain as much strength as possible for the battle ahead.

On his ship, Gosei, the Blue Centurion and the Sentinel Knight were assembled in a meeting room, while Jordan was on the bridge with the two Alpha units. Gosei sat at the top of the table, while his two allies sat either side.

"So the ritual is complete. The sacrifice has been made." Gosei told them. "The time's almost come for our part in this. We're only going to get one shot at this, so we need to make it count."

"You know we're prepared for the battle ahead." The Blue Centurion told him. "But I must still question if your son..."

"You fought with him before." Gosei interrupted him. "My son is more than up to the task at hand."

"I just question bringing him with us." Blue Centurion answered.

"I must also question that." The Sentinel Knight added. "You know how important he is to..."

"I already have that covered." Gosei assured them. "So, prepare how you will. The final battle is soon going to be upon us."

Back in Harwood, Orion was making his way through the city, looking for the other Rangers. He didn't really know Harwood as well as them, but he knew the basic needs anyone had in a survival situation. He had spent a long time on his own, surviving in the wilderness. He knew that the priorities were shelter, heat, food and water, and he knew that in a situation like this, people would be searching for those.

Shelter was simple enough to locate, he just had to look for buildings that were standing. Any kind of shelter from the elements was acceptable right now; he had already walked past a number of families making themselves as comfortable as possible under overpasses, in train stations...pretty much anywhere that had some decent walls and a roof.

Warmth was another thing, which while the city was mostly without power meant one thing, fire. If people were making fires, that meant finding things to burn. It seemed that people found little trouble with that. Paper, wood, fabric...anything that could be used to make a flame became fuel. People were only too willing to use what was left of their personal belongings to stay warm. That narrowed things down to where people could find food.

Realising that Sheona and her family had a pretty good idea, he was checking mainly for stores. People may have had food in their homes, but buried under rubble, it was questionable how much of it would still be edible.

"Orion!" He heard someone calling out as he searched the streets. He looked up to see Tensou coming his way. He smiled.

"Tensou!" He responded as the mechanical parrot flew down to him. "Boy am I glad to see you!"

"Orion, something terrible happened...the Ranger Keys, they disappeared!" He shrieked. Orion just looked to him curiously.

"Disappeared?" He asked. "What do you mean?"

"The chest...the keys from the chest just disappeared!" He reiterated. Orion checked his pocket, finding his morpher, and breathed a sigh of relief as he found he had his own key. "So...all the other keys? ALL of them?"

"They're all gone!" Tensou reiterated. Orion just looked to his morpher again. The communications link was out, but that didn't mean the morphers couldn't still help them.

"Tensou, can you lock onto the others' morphers?" He asked.

"Sure I can." Tensou told him.

"Then take me to them." He told the little robot. Tensou soared up into the air, following the signal, with Orion following close behind him. They didn't notice as a man in a brown jacket, with white denims watched them go. He lifted his wrist communicator.

"It's Tommy, I've found one of them." He announced. "If what I heard is right, the others most likely made it too."

"That's just what we needed to hear." Zack replied. "Everyone return to base. The Emergency Services have finally got things under control. We'll need all the rest we can get."

**A/N:** I just wanted to say, I know I skipped most of the rescues, we've all seen them, but I really wanted to show Carter's, because something did irk me slightly about that scene. In the show, he moved the girder BEFORE Dana examined the patient. He was clearly in no imminent danger, and as such, the best thing would have been to leave him until Dana could make sure he wasn't going to bleed out once the girder was removed. As a life-long fireman, Carter really should have known that.

I was reminded of a story Allison Macinnes (Dana, Lightspeed) relayed at a panel at Morphicon. One time on set, she was shooting a scene where she was training with a dummy to resuscitate a baby. She was stopped by one of the advisors on the set, who told her that to play a doctor convincingly, she had to do it right, and told her bluntly that the technique she was using would have killed the baby if she'd done it in real life! I felt that in the same vein, someone should have advised Sean on rescue protocol for that scene.


	28. The Eve of the Legend

In a secret lair, shrouded in darkness, a mysterious figure watched events unfolding. He had seen Lavira's sacrifice, he had seen the invasion come, and most importantly, he had watched as the Rangers sacrificed all of their Zords in the vain attempt to keep The Armada at bay.

While it amused him to watch that footage, replaying it again and again like a kid that had found a Youtube video with some uncensored swear words, it was the fallout that interested him the most. He had seen Mavro granting the humans one last day of mercy, to give them time to think about the destruction to come. He had seen the humans finally starting to crawl from the ruins of their homes, carrying what little they could with them as they struggled to find somewhere to cower, to await the inevitable destruction. He could almost smell the hopelessness, he could almost feel the despair coming from the city. He smiled as he saw it.

It interested him to watch the humans scurry around in the ruins of the city, like ants scrambling for any tiny morsel they could find among the waste left behind by those higher up the food chain than them. It interested him even more to see that while they were helping each other to some extent, people sharing out what few meagre provisions they could find, there were some that were in the streets actively helping others, but with seemingly nothing in it for themselves. Some were actually going out in the streets, looking for people that were in need of help, and helping them even when there was nothing in it for them.

He watched one video in particular, one that interested him immensely.

There was a bus teetering over the edge of a motorway bridge. It was a Greyhound that had unfortunately been on a late schedule, making it one of the few that hadn't made it out of the city before the bombardment. People inside were screaming in terror as metal squealed, the vehicle barely holding together and close to tipping them all into the street below.

As it seemed that they were doomed though, there were yellow and red streaks that rushed through the vehicle, following which a couple of lines that hadn't been there before were now threaded through the vehicle. There were two people, one a young, white male around his mid twenties, and the other, a dark-skinned woman in camouflage trousers, with a yellow jersey on the other end of the lines. They both ran around nearby structures, bracing the lines, and starting to pull. The bus started to tip back forward, but not enough to put it out of danger. He could see some of the support struts in the bus buckling.

"We can't pull this thing up! It'll break apart!" Mack yelled.

"Ronny, Conner, do your thing!" Katie stated as she wrapped the line around herself, bracing her foot against the pillar she was using for leverage. The Red and Yellow streaks started darting in and out of the vehicle as the two humans held onto the lines, struggling with the weight. Before long, the bus was empty. As the red streak came back, it stopped, revealing a young man in his late twenties.

"They're clear!" Conner told them. "Ronny?"

"Everything's clear down here!" She shouted up from the street below. "Alright, let it go!"

She streaked out of the area as Katie and Mack let go of their lines. The bus teetered for another couple of moments, before finally tipping over the edge, slamming into the street below. Ronny and Conner rushed to Katie and Mack as they breathed a sigh of relief.

"Alright guys, I think that's it." Conner stated. "We'll see you back at the safe house."

"Race you there!" Ronny replied, at which they both darted off. Katie and Mack just looked at each other.

"You're not going to challenge me to an arm-wrestling match are you?" Mack asked. "I'm beat."

"Me too." Katie answered. "Rain check?"

"Sure." Mack answered as they both walked away. The figure watching them just smiled as he saw this.

"They're so predictable." He commented. "Everything is going to plan."

On The Armada Command Ship, Emperor Mavro was in a banquet chamber, gorging himself ahead of the final battle. He was confident that he would not only conquer the Earth, but utterly destroy it. It was within his capability to simply destroy the planet, using his heaviest weapons, but he didn't want to turn Earth into rubble, not now. Now that they had taken both his sons from him, he wanted Earth to serve as an example, to be a galactic billboard warning all other worlds what awaited them if they dared to believe that they could stand against The Armada.

As he picked up a bottle, Redker came into the room. He didn't bother looking at his nephew, he just popped the cork on the bottle.

"This is called Dom Perrignon. Some of my troops brought it back from Earth." Mavro told him. "Apparently it is considered one of their most valued vintages."

"I am sure it would not be fit to water the vermin in the plumbing of this ship." Redker replied, hoping to flatter his Uncle. Mavro just looked to him.

"You are saying my ship is full of vermin?" He asked. "Are you suggesting I make a habit of living in squalor?"

"No, no of course not Your Highness, I..." Redker stammered as he tried to think of a response. "I...um...I merely meant that this human swill is probably not worthy of your refined palate."

"What do you want?" Mavro demanded of his nephew, beginning to lose patience. He loathed his toadying. While he expected it from Vekar, his first true heir, Vrak, the bastard that wasn't even his, had earned his respect. Vrak alone dared to actually question him. He was always suggesting ideas, strategies, many of which Mavro had ended up using, and as a result achieving victory in much shorter time frames and with substantially lower losses than he had believed possible. While Vekar was the heir, and he had love him dearly, willing him to take after his brother and learn to become a true Emperor, Vrak was the one he was confident would make a fine ruler when his time came.

Redker...he was more like Vekar, but without the saving grace of being Mavro's son. He was slightly more tactically inclined than Vekar, but he still relied more on his lineage than any real talent to keep his position. His attitude and his constant snivelling and sucking up irritated Mavro to no end, and he was already wondering if he had any other relatives that would work as his heir should something "unfortunate" befall Redker.

"Your Highness...I wish to lead an assault on Harwood!" He told him flatly. Champagne spilled down Mavro's chin as he lost concentration for a moment and just stared at him. He gulped down what had managed to get into his mouth.

"I have already told you..."

"Your Highness...Uncle, please!" Redker pleaded with him. She scurried over, falling to his knees at his side. "I want to do this."

"These Rangers..."

"The Rangers are just five humans, and you've already destroyed all of their Zords!" He reminded him. "Uncle...I only want to prove myself to you."

Mavro just poured himself some more champagne as he considered this. He looked to the goblet.

"This champagne isn't actually all that bad." He commented.

"Uncle, please." Redker stated. "I beg you, allow me to lead the ground forces."

"Will you do as I say from now on?" Mavro asked him.

"I will do anything you want to honour you Uncle!" He rushed out.

"Fine, then you will lead the ground assault." Mavro told him, seeing Redker's face light up. He had the family taste for bloodshed and sadism, but he still failed to convince Mavro he truly had what it took to rule with an iron fist. She figured that he was right that the Rangers' forces had been decimated and there was likely no real threat to Redker left. "Go and get ready. I will have your army ready in time for dawn."

"I will make you proud Uncle, I promise you!" Redker rushed out in delight. Mavro watched him go, and sighed deeply.

"I knew I should have killed my sister when we were kids." He grumbled.

Back in Harwood Mall, things were pretty quiet as people started to find exhaustion taking root, and finding places to settle down to sleep. Everyone knew what awaited them the following morning, but between grieving for those that didn't make it, and scrambling together what little they had left to keep them going, people were more than ready to sleep.

Troy wasn't one of them though. He took a moment to enjoy the quiet as he wandered around the mall. It was more than a little eerie to walk around here when there wasn't a whole crowd of people pushing and shoving to get where they wanted to go, but it did give him a lot of time to think.

He was under no false impressions of what they faced now. They had faced huge battles before, they had faced uphill fights in the past more times than he cared to count, but this was something completely different. They still didn't know where Orion was, or even if he was still alive, and they already knew that the Zords were gone.

It was just them, just five kids, standing against the might of The Armada in the final push. He had spent his whole life hearing inspirational tales about uphill struggles, like Thermopylae, or the Alamo, and while all those stories stirred the soul and ignited the flame of passion to stand up for what he believed in, there was one sad common thread among such stories. In general, the outnumbered forces ended up being wiped out, crushed before the juggernaut they faced on those occasions. The Spartans had 300 warriors when they faced a million Persians. Troy didn't even want to think how many Armada he had to face, and they only had five.

To say the odds didn't look good was an understatement. It didn't matter how much he meditated on the point, it didn't matter how much he communed with his Dragon Spirit, the fact was that the beast they were facing was merciless, and seemingly unstoppable. He was determined that Mavro would have to take his last breath from him by force, it still wasn't an encouraging thought.

He noticed someone moving outside, and he made his way out, finding Emma standing on a balcony that had served as the Al Fresco wing of a Hawaiian barbecue restaurant on the top floor of the mall. She was looking out into the night, staring up at the sky. He was about to quietly leave her to it, but as he was about to go, he heard her say his name.

"Troy?" She asked again. He turned back slowly, looking towards her. "You couldn't sleep either?" He shook his head as he approached.

"What are you doing out here?" He asked.

"I was just looking at the stars." Emma answered. "I remember...we could barely see the sky today. This might be the last time I get the chance to see them."

"It is something alright." Troy commented. "We normally couldn't see them here...that's why we went to the hill...that one over there...to see the meteor shower."

"Light pollution." Emma said with a smile. "There are so many lights in the city from all the street lamps and store signs and such that it's hard to see the stars at night. I'm glad to see you remember some of what I said."

"Emma, I'm really sorry..."

"I came out here to think, I've had a lot to think about." Emma interrupted him, looking back out. "I called Dana, dad's far too weak to move. They can't risk taking him out of the city, so he's going to be here."

"I'm sorry to hear that." Troy answered. Emma just took a deep breath.

"I'm going to be here, no matter what happens." She told him. "I'm not leaving dad here, there's no way I can do that. I'm here to the end, whatever that end is."

"He's lucky to have you." Troy answered. Emma just turned to him, leaning on the guard rail.

"Do you remember on your birthday, how we went to that John Wayne film marathon in the cinema?" She asked him. Troy just nodded. "Or how about that time I watched you in that tournament against the kid from Turtle Cove that was like three feet taller than you?"

"I really appreciated that." Troy told her. "Emma..."

"Do you remember what you bought me for Christmas last year?" Emma asked him. He just nodded.

"I got you that butterfly book." He answered.

"How about my Birthday before that?" She asked him.

"I got you..." His words tailed off. "I got you a nature book?"

"A butterfly book." Emma reminded him. "The...uh...same one you bought me a few months later."

"Shit, I didn't did I?" Troy asked her. She just nodded.

"Then you bought it for me a third time for my last birthday." Emma told him. Troy just slumped down in a corner.

"Emma, I didn't...I really suck...I'm totally sorry." He said to her. She just shook her head.

"You know, in all the time we were together, I don't think we ever took one BMX ride together, and I can count on one hand the number of times we went hiking together." She continued. She could see the way he was looking at her and knelt down with him. She took his hands in hers. "I'm not saying this to make you feel bad."

"Then why...?"

"I guess...I guess what I'm trying to say is, it hurt when we broke up, but now that I think about it, now that I've had time to really think about our time together, we really didn't do a whole lot with each other, other than...well..."

"Emma, hearing this, I really feel like I wasn't a good boyfriend." He admitted. "Your interests...I'll admit, they weren't my speed, but I never meant..."

"Troy, all I'm saying is..." Emma answered, stalling a little to think about what she wanted to say. "What we had together was great, it was something that I'll never forget, but...I guess...it's just something that was at a certain time and place for us."

"So...you're not mad?" He asked her.

"Well...don't expect a Christmas card or anything this year." She told him. "But I guess I'm trying to accept...what we had was great, but I guess...we were different then, and we just grew apart."

"I'm really sorry that happened." Troy told her.

"I am too." Emma answered. "But if this is it, I just want you to know...I do understand."

Troy hugged her tightly. He did genuinely care about Emma, but even he had to admit that they were very different people at the beginning, and it seemed like they had only gotten further and further apart. As much as he was convinced that he had done the right thing, he cared enough about Emma that he never wanted to see her hurt. To hear from her that she understood his decision, even if she didn't say she forgave him for what happened, was something he couldn't hope for.

Just then, they heard some rustling from some nearby rubble. They both prepared for action, but as a shadowy figure appeared over the verge, before stepping into view, their faces lit up.

"ORION!" They both screamed, running into the mall. They stopped only to shake the others awake before unlocking the doors. Orion came in, at which they all whooped with delight.

"Orion! You made it!" Gia yelled.

"Hey, it'll take more than a little air strike to level this guy right?" Jake answered, high-fiving Orion. "Tensou! How's it going little buddy?"

"Not so good." Tensou answered. "I brought the chest but...the keys...they're gone."

"Wait, what?" Noah asked.

"The keys are gone! They just disappeared!" Tensou explained. Troy and the others checked their pockets quickly, realising they still had their own Corsair keys.

"So...this is it." Noah stated. "All we have left is these."

"Then that'll have to be enough." Orion put down flatly.

"Dawn's only in a few hours." Troy told them. "When Mavro comes, we give him everything, no matter what happens."

"If he wants this planet, he'll have to take it from us." Emma stated, taking his hand.

"I'm in." Gia added. "He's not getting Earth without a fight!"

"There are so many mysteries in this world still to explore." Noah commented, putting in his hand. "They won't be lost if I have anything to say."

"You always play the whole 90 minutes." Jake stated as he put his hand in. Orion just looked to the others.

"Andresia is gone, but Earth has a chance." He said, putting his hand in.

"Then this is it, nothing more, nothing less." Troy stated. "We win or we die!"

"Then let's say what we all want to!" Jake said with a smile. "Emperor Mavro, you can..."

"...KISS OUR ASS!" They all roared together as they parted.


	29. The Final Day

Morning broke over Harwood, on what was, if Mavro was to have his way, Earth's final day. The citizens were stirring, most of them having hardly slept, giving the impending destruction coming their way.

On the Armada Command Ship, Mavro surveyed the Earth from the window, feeling the same thrill he always did before laying waste to a planet. While he generally tried to invade planets rather than annihilate them, he did on occasion make an exception. Usually when his primary analysis showed him that the planet didn't possess any natural resources of any real worth to him, but this time the decision to go in full force was personal. This planet hadn't just dared to oppose him, refused to acknowledge him as the superior being and accept his rule, but he had lost two sons to the war. They had dared to attack and murder two members of the Royal Family.

Redker came to his side, visibly brimming with excitement. He was eager to prove himself to his uncle. He knew that someday the empire would be bequeathed to him, and he wanted to ensure that his uncle believed that his empire would be left in good hands. He wanted to impress him by showing he could be just as cruel and pitiless as Mavro.

"Begin the decent." Mavro instructed him. "The Earth has enjoyed my mercy for long enough."

Down on the Earth, the few citizens of Harwood who could manage to get some sleep among the ruins of the city were waking up, looking out on the morning sky. Instead of hope though, most of them felt only despair. The morning brought with it the threat that Mavro had left them with. He was coming back, and this time, he had every intention of sweeping across the planet, destroying everyone in his path. As the ships started to come down, darkening the sky and blocking out the sun, the citizens started to crawl out of their hiding places. The ships stopped their decent, hovering above the city as land forces teleported into the street. It seemed as though Mavro wasn't content with just blasting the city into rubble from a safe distance, it looked like he wanted the more visceral feel of destroying them directly.

Redker pushed his way to the front of the army, positioning himself between a couple of Kingsmen. He smiled as he saw the citizens standing before him, lining up opposite the army. A few of them had hastily armed themselves with whatever they could lay their hands on, grabbing pipes, bricks, sporting goods, kitchen supplies...anything. Redker looked to them and let out a small laugh.

"Now, this truly is pathetic!" He taunted them. "Do you really think that you're going to do anything to us with those?"

"If you want this planet, you're going to have to fight for it!" Ernie yelled as he gripped a five-iron tightly in his hands. "If you're going to kill us anyway, then we're not going to lie down and wait for it!"

"You really think you have any hope against me?" Redker asked him in response. "I am Redker, nephew of Emperor Mavro, and the rightful heir to the Empire! Do you know what that means?"

Just then, a few of the robots flew backwards as they were hit with power blasts. They citizens all looked up as the Corsair Rangers marched out of the shadows, onto a balcony high above them, their weapons at the ready. The citizens cheered as they saw them.

"It sounds to me like the Emperor is running out of heirs!" Troy announced. "Maybe he should quit while he's ahead!"

"You...you're still alive?" Redker asked.

"Yes, and as long as that's the case, we'll never stop fighting!" Emma called out. "You're done!"

"Please, look at your position, there are six of you!" Redker announced.

"You might want to count again!" They heard someone say. Troy and the others looked to a side street as the seven Mighty Morphin' Rangers walked out, showing themselves for the first time in almost twenty years.

"Wait...who are they?" Gia asked.

"We don't have the keys anymore...Gosei's ritual!" Noah called out. "It must have turned the keys back into the Ranger powers!"

"That's a good guess." They heard Rocky say as the Zeo team came out of another street.

"It's been a long time." Cassie announced as the Space Rangers showed up. "It's been a long time since we even showed up on Earth."

"Gosei re-powered all the Rangers?" Redker shrieked as more and more teams started to show up.

"Galaxy, Lightspeed, Time Force!" Noah added, rhyming off the teams he could see.

"Ninja Storm, Dino Thunder, SPD!" Jake responded. "Mystic Force, Overdrive, Jungle Fury!"

"RPM, Samurai..." Emma added. Just then, there was something that even she didn't understand. "Wait...Megaforce?"

"The Megaforce Rangers are here?" Noah asked. "How does that work?"

"Where did all of them come from?" Redker screamed as he looked around in shock. "Emperor Mavro, help us!"

A few blasts came down from the ships over the city, slamming into the ground, sending up debris. Jason gestured to the citizens.

"I appreciate your will to fight, but the best thing you can do is clear out!" Jason called out to them as he opened fire with his blade blaster. "Leave this to us!"

"Yeah, that's all great in theory." Kira added as she hacked down some Bruisers with her Ptera Grips. "But what exactly are we going to do about those ships? No one has any Zords!"

"It looks like someone's got that covered." Troy added with a smile as a ship dropped out of hyper drive, beginning to fire on the fleet. Gosei's ship flew straight at the fleet, distracting their fire as it headed straight towards The Armada Command Ship. "Alright, let's show these guys what happens when you mess with the Earth!"

"We'll keep the others off your back!" Carter shouted as he tackled some of the X-borgs, tearing through them with the Rescue Bird. "You deal with fish face!"

"With pleasure!" Jake answered as the Corsair Rangers headed towards Redker. The Commander took on a guard, metal claws shooting out of his wrist armour.

"You think I'm a weakling like Vekar?" He roared. "I'll make you wish you were never born!"

Up on Gosei's ship, the Blue Centurion, the Sentinel Knight, Gosei and Jordan were standing on the bridge, steadying themselves as the ship was rocked by the return fire from The Armada.

"So this is your plan?" Jordan asked him. "We fly one ship right into the heart of The Armada?"

"Shields are taking a pounding!" Alpha 6 told them. "The Armada must have been practicing!"

"OK, there's no way we have enough firepower on this thing to take on the whole fleet." Jordan stated.

"You're right, that's why we're going straight to the heart of it." The Blue Centurion told him. "This kind of ship has a technical name. They call it a boarding torpedo."

"A boarding...? Oh you have got to be kidding!" Jordan said as some of the consoles started to explode.

"I'm on it!" Alpha 5 said as he ran to repair the damage.

"You didn't think you brought that armour for nothing did you?" The Blue Centurion stated, preparing his blaster. "Stay the course, and bring us in as close to the bridge as you can."

Jordan powered up into his armour as the ship accelerated, and an armoured ram formed up at the nose of the ship. Jordan and the others braced for impact as the ship tore into the side of the Command Ship, ripping inside it. There was a blast, and the nose cone disappeared, just as the ship's forces all started to flood the corridors, seeking the intruders.

"He'll be up in the bridge!" The Blue Centurion told them as he opened fire. "We need to get there!"

Back on the streets of Harwood, the streets were a war zone as the combined forces of all the Ranger teams kept the Armada busy. The White MMPR Ranger sliced down a Kingsman that was about to attack the Green MMPR Ranger from behind.

"You know, you may be a clone Tom, but the original is still the best." Tommy teased him. Tom swung around, firing a blast from his Dragon Dagger, taking down another couple.

"Just keep telling yourself that Tommy." He replied. "Maybe you'll convince yourself."

"How are the new guys doing?" Cole asked as he smashed through some more troops. Kelsey managed to get a look over.

"That all depends on if you prefer your fish as sushi or well done!" She said with a smile. Redker had managed to cause the team a few headaches, and get some licks in, but emboldened by the presence of all the Rangers that came before them, the Corsair Rangers were not to be denied. He started to power up a huge power blast as the team all faced off against him.

"Alright guys, I feel like having my fish smoked!" Troy stated as he put a key into his blaster. Everyone else followed suit, forming up a firing line as Redker prepared to launch his attack.

"Final STRIKE!" They chorused together, firing off their blasts. It struck Redker's attack, before starting to slowly push through it, driving it backwards. He let out a huge scream as he took the hit, before falling to the ground and exploding. Troy and the others turned back to their battle.

"Mavro should really be more careful with his heirs." Troy declared. "Come on guys, there are still more troops to go!"

As they went back into the fray, finally feeling the scales tipping in their favour, they could only turn their attention to the troops still in the fight, and be glad that Gosei, for all his inscrutable plans, seemed to have come through for them in the end.

Back on The Armada Command Ship, the boarding party were fighting their way through the ship, heading towards the bridge. The Blue Centurion saw a Kingsman activating a security panel, starting to seal down some bulkheads. He ran over to the nearest one as it was about to come down, holding it up with all of his strength, dropping his blaster as he did so.

"This way!" He yelled at them. "The Bridge is this way!"

Some troops opened fire on him, punching through his armour, and tearing pieces off the robot as he struggled to keep the bulkhead open. Jordan, Gosei and the Sentinel Knight all rushed through, moments before his grip failed. The Blue Centurion, fell, his legs crushed under the bulkhead as it sealed them in. Jordan ran to his side.

"Hold on, I'll..."

"Never mind me; your mission's too important!" The Blue Centurion told him. "Hand me my blaster and get going."

"But...but you..."

"I'm done for, but I can take some more of these guys with me before they take me out!" He told Jordan. Jordan just handed him his blaster. "Finish it!"

"You know it." He replied as he got up, returning to the fight. The Blue Centurion saw some more soldiers coming, and took careful aim.

"Come and get me!" He stated as he fired, taking some of them down as they all rushed towards him.

Meanwhile, Mavro was on his bridge, keeping track of the intruders as he kept an eye on what was going on down on the Earth. His plans, his invasion were being unravelled before his very eyes. It had all seemed so simple at the beginning, he was expecting to face humans armed with sticks and stones, but now...there were literally Rangers crawling out of the woodwork. Dozens of Rangers, many more than he had ever imagined it was possible to see had shown up in defence of the world that he had come to loathe. When he destroyed Eltar, leaving the Morphing Grid hanging by a thread, he had been certain that he would never face this level of resistance.

The doors to the bridge flew in, and Gosei, the Sentinel Knight and Jordan all rushed onto the deck. Mavro just snarled in frustration.

"You!" He growled as he saw Gosei. "Why won't you Eltarians just die?"

"It's the end of the road Mavro!" Gosei declared as he confronted The Armada Commander.

"Is this where you offer to let me leave with my life?" Mavro asked him. Gosei shook his head.

"It's gone much too far for that." Gosei told him. "You're far too dangerous to allow to live! This ends now!"

"It looks like I get to end the Eltarian race after all!" He declared. The Sentinel Knight and Gosei rushed towards him, smashing him through the rear wall of the bridge.

Jordan was about to join his father in the battle, but as he was about to, he stopped as he saw the other ships resuming their bombardment of the ground. The Rangers below were returning fire with whatever they had. There were a couple of battlizers, and some cannon, but most of them only had hand weapons. They could take down a few ships, but nothing like what they needed to do.

"Damn it, it's not enough!" Jordan screamed, slamming a hand onto the control console. It was only then that a thought occurred to him. He was standing on the bridge of the most powerful ship in the entire Armada fleet! The Emperor was busy with Gosei and the Sentinel Knight! He sat in the chair, looking around at the controls and realised that he was familiar with the systems. In his studies in the Library, Gosei had programmed in knowledge of a lot of alien technology...it seemed that this was technology Mavro had adopted from one of the worlds he had conquered.

"You had this planned all along didn't you dad?" Jordan asked as he cracked his fingers, taking up the controls. "Now to see if I really did waste all that time playing Star Fox!"

On the ground, those Rangers with battlizers and access to heavy cannon had split off from the main battle to turn their attention to the ships that had renewed their bombardment of the ground.

"I've never run my Battlizer like this before." Conner commented to Leo as they fired again and again into the fleet. "I'm not sure how much more power it has!"

"I guess we just keep firing until we run out then!" He answered. "How are things looking over there Mike?"

"I can finally see the end of them!" The Magna Defender called back, helping Damon to his feet after an attack. "This is no time for a rest Damon! Come on guys, do you want to live forever?"*

"Oh that is just perfect!" Wes stated as he turned his attention to the Command Ship, seeing its weapon's ports opening up. "Guys, we've got serious incoming!"

However, completely unexpectedly, the ship turned its weapons on its own fleet! Ships exploded devastatingly under the abuse.

"They're...they're taking out their own ships!" Noah announced.

"Not them...Jordan!" Jake said with a bright smile. "That dude has some seriously mad Star Fox skills!"

"Keep it up guys, they're almost gone!" Shane yelled. "It's working!"

"That's all of them!" Gia called out. "It's just the ones on the ground left!"

"And the Command Ship." Noah reminded her.

"Leave that to Gosei." Troy answered, cutting down another bruiser with ease. "He's gotten us this far, let's see it to the end!"

As Jordan finished with the rest of the fleet, he left the control console, and followed the path his father had taken with Emperor Mavro, which went straight through the ship, all the way to the engine chamber. He could see his father lying prone on the deck a few floors down, and leapt over the guard rail, landing on the deck. He could see Mavro trading blows with the Sentinel Knight a little way off. He went to Gosei's side, helping him up.

"Dad, the fleet's gone!" Jordan told him. "It's just Mavro left..."

"Then my plan has worked." Gosei answered.

"It's a pretty complicated plan." Jordan told him. "But now I'm here..."

They all looked up in time to see the Sentinel Knight screaming out as Emperor Mavro tore him in half with his bare hands. The golden armoured warrior fell to the ground, and stopped moving. Jordan fired his Robo Blaster at him, but Mavro swept the blasts aside. He strode towards Jordan, bearing down on him.

"This is it dad, we'll take him together!" Jordan stated. Gosei pulled out a device, and clamped it to Jordan's armour.

"Sorry son, but that was never part of the plan." He told him. "You'll understand soon enough."

"What the...DAD!" Jordan called out as he disappeared. Gosei pulled out a weapon, which telescoped out into a halberd.

"So, you really want to do this?" Mavro asked him. "Then I suppose at least we should be able to do this face-to-face. Climate controls, alter the air conditions, nitrogen levels 90 percent."

Gosei pulled off his helmet, at which long, white hair spilled down to his waist. His pale blue flesh was almost glowing as he adopted his guard.

**A/N: **Well, the ending arc is well underway! There's more to come, but just as a fun little challenge...Mike made a statement marked with a *. See if you can figure out where that came from, and more importantly...figure out the connection and why I had him say it!


	30. Gosei's Endgame

Jordan came to, finding himself in somewhat familiar surroundings. He was surrounded by stone, covered in moss and cobwebs. There were five plinths in the room, covered with thick layers of dust and grime, but he could recognise them as the control panels from the old cave on Gosei's island.

"I'm back in the Command Centre." He surmised. "Why would dad send me here?"

"Because this is the last stage of your journey." He heard a familiar voice saying. He turned to see the projection of Pythia approaching him. She still took on the form of his mother, but instead of finding it unsettling, he felt himself smiling as he saw her.

"Pythia! I never thought I'd say this, but I'm glad to see you." He told her. He then furrowed his brows. "But...uh...how can you appear outside The Library?"

"The Library has been dismantled." She told him. "I have all the power I need to appear here in order to give you this."

Jordan looked to her as she held out a red memory crystal. He just looked to her as he took it from her.

"What's this?" Jordan asked.

"It's the last memory crystal." She told him. "This is Gosei's memory crystal. This will finally explain everything."

"What about dad?" He asked. "He's still up there fighting Mavro without me! I need to go back, I need..."

"Jordan...your father would not have sent you here if it wasn't necessary." Pythia assured him. "This is what all of this has been about. This is your destiny."

Jordan gripped the memory crystal tightly, and closed his eyes, entering the last memory crystal.

On the streets of Harwood, the Rangers were carving through the remaining soldiers of The Armada. The streets were finally starting to clear out, and the Rangers could finally see the end of the battle approaching. They could finally see an end to the army.

Troy watched as Megaforce Red hacked down a couple of X-borgs. He approached him, smiling as he did so.

"Good job." He complimented him. "The only question I have left is...who are you?"

"Gosei figured you can never have too many Rangers." He replied. His voice was familiar, but Troy couldn't quite place it. "We can catch up after!"

"Well, the Black guy's putting up a good show." Jake said as he stood back-to-back with his counterpart.

"Wait, my counterpart is a girl?" Noah asked, noticing a skirt as Megaforce Blue took down some bruisers with her Bowgun. "Just as well I'm not threatened by stuff like that."

"Well, my counterpart seems to be a guy." Emma added as he blew a few Kingsmen apart. One of them had its head blown clean off its shoulders. "And he's a pretty good shot!"

"Hey, this past year's seen a lot of gender-switching in the suits; I guess it was just our turn." Gia answered as she and Magaforce Yellow smashed through some more of the robotic troops. "Although...my counterpart still seems to be a girl...OK, I guess only some of us."

"Guys, I can see the back of the lines!" Zack called out from where he was taking pot shots with his Power Axe in cannon mode. "There's actually an end to this invasion! We're going to do it!"

"Then let's stop talking about it and get it done!" Mack shouted, lashing out with his Drive Lance. "Let's give Gosei the time he needs to finish up whatever he's doing!"

Up on The Armada Command Ship, Gosei spun away from the Emperor, twirling his halberd in an intricate pattern as he went. Mavro looked to a huge gash in his leg, and clamped his hand over it, seeing his blood running, the first time he had seen that in years.

"Eltarian steel!" Gosei said with a smile, bringing the weapon back around into a guard.

"You honestly believe some trinket from that little mud ball you came from scares me?" Mavro roared as he lashed out with a huge, broad bladed sword, slashing through support beams and guard rails as he lunged at Gosei. "You saw what I did to that!"

"You talk a lot about what you're going to do to me!" Gosei stated as he deflected a blow, bringing the blade back across Mavro, slicing along one of his arms, then opening up a neat little gash across his left cheek bone. "But so far you just look like a big bumbling infant! Crawling around, smashing up your toys because you have the power to do so! You can't imagine what it means to have real power!"

Mavro saw that in his rage, he had cut up more than a few support beams, and left the walk way they were on rickety, and loose. He got a wicked smirk on his face.

"You made a big mistake coming here, one that's already cost your friends their lives!" Mavro told him. "And one that will soon cost you yours!"

He distracted Gosei with some power blasts, and swinging his massive blade, before bringing his foot down on the walkway with all his power. Gosei felt the walkway shift. As he stomped down again, the walkway fell, taking Gosei with it, all the way to the ground level. The last Eltarian hit the ground floor, right at the base of the engine room hard, but didn't get much of a chance to recover. His arm only barely took the impact as Mavro landed, stomping down on it. His armour saved it being crushed into oblivion, but Mavro had managed to stop him retrieving his weapon. He picked up Gosei's halberd and inspected it.

"This is an interesting piece; perhaps it will look good in my trophy room." He mused, before ramming it through Gosei's abdomen, causing him to scream out in pain. "On second thought...perhaps I'll just have you stuffed and mounted instead!"

He kicked Gosei so hard he flew up into the air, before smashing him across the room with his sword. Gosei hit the reactor core in the middle of the ship. He struggled to remain upright. His insides felt like they were on fire, every breath was agony, but he knew that this was what needed to happen. It was his destiny, the destiny of his people. Mavro ran into him, slamming a fist into his chest, cracking his armour. Blood welled up in Gosei's mouth as he felt the evil warlord's massive hand gripping his head, beginning to squeeze his skull. He could feel the power in his grip, and as he increased the pressure, he felt his skull starting to strain against it.

"It's over Gosei! Did you really think you could match my power?" He roared. "Your whole RACE fell before me! If you Eltarians didn't die so easily, I might actually feel a sense of accomplishment right now!"

Gosei formed up his hand, extending a thumb...from which a large spike extended. He brought it up, ramming it straight into Mavro's right eye, destroying it as the creature screamed out in agony. He picked up Mavro's own sword, and swung it, smashing it into Mavro's injured leg, causing it to buckle under his weight, no longer able to hold him. He blasted Gosei back into the reactor, staring up at him.

"You really think this matters?" Mavro screamed at him. "I've defeated whole armies without getting out of my throne! Do you think I need to stand to defeat you? You're on your last breaths as it is!"

"You may not need to stand to defeat me, but you do to run!" Gosei announced. "And you got this battle all wrong. I never needed to defeat you!"

Gosei pulled the Power Ruby out of his chest cavity, holding it up for Mavro to see.

"I just needed to stop you from winning!" He replied, grabbing it in his hands. Mavro's one remaining eye shot open wide in horror as he realised where they were. They were right next to the reactor! Gosei never intended to survive the battle; he just wanted to lure Mavro into this trap. He watched as Gosei prepared to crush the Power Ruby, unleashing all its energy right next to the reactor.

"NOOOOOOOOOOOO!"

Back on the ground, the Rangers all looked up as the final Kingsman made its last stand in the centre of the square. Kimberly took him down, smashing him into oblivion with her Power Bow. The Rangers all let out a loud cheer as the final robot fell. The Yellow Megaforce Ranger came running over to Gia, smothering her in a massive hug. She was more than a little taken aback, but pretty soon she returned the gesture. Gia parted from her a little way.

"Um...am I missing something here?" Jake asked. Gia reached to Megaforce Yellow's helmet, undoing the catches and lifting it off. Bright red hair spilled out, and the others all smiled as they recognised the young woman underneath the helmet.

"CAT!" They all called out as they saw her. She smiled as she nodded, reaching out for Gia's face.

"Gosei came to me and told me there were some spare morphers." She told Gia. "I couldn't let you face the end without me."

Gia wanted to say something, but she couldn't think what to say. She couldn't decide if she was happy to see Cat, upset that she had put herself in danger by coming into a Ranger battle...but not just ANY Ranger battle, the one that was easily the largest any Ranger had ever faced. Or if she was enraged that Gosei would even suggest that bringing Cat into the battle was a good idea. However, looking into her eyes, there was only one thing that occurred to her, that over-rode everything else. She pulled in, kissing her passionately, embracing her with all the passion in her heart.

"Well...I guess that's one way to celebrate." Jake said with a smile. "So...uh...if that's Cat, who replaced all of us?"

"I bet I know who's under that helmet." Noah said with a smile, approaching his counterpart. "And I have to say, that suit looks better on you than it did on me Quinn."

She pulled off her helmet, smiling as she approached him.

"I couldn't let you do this alone." She told him.

"It's a bit different from my Samurai training." Spike stated as he walked towards Jake, removing his helmet. "But I couldn't pass up the chance to finally be a Ranger could I?"

"And don't think I was exactly pleased about it either." Kimberly said grumpily, before throwing her arm around her step-son. "But I couldn't be more proud of him."

"Um...so...you are...?" Emma asked. Megaforce Pink pulled off his helmet, revealing himself to be Kyle.

"Your dad would have done it for sure if he'd been healthy enough." He assured Emma. "I just hope you don't mind me as a substitute."

"You've done a wonderful job helping my dad." Emma told him, hugging him tightly. "Not sure pink is your colour though."

"Well...it's a one-time deal." He assured her with a chuckle. Troy looked to Megaforce Red, who pulled off his helmet. It was Xavier Teach, the actor who had played Troy's character in Dax's movie. He and Troy had a kind of friendly rivalry, dating back to when they trained together before Xavier went into movies. Xavier had always had a lot of talent, and it frustrated him that because he went into movies people thought his fights were fake.

"OK, I have to concede, that was pretty impressive." Troy told him. "I guess you did get another chance to be a Ranger for real."

"Hey, I'm just glad I got to fight alongside you again." Xavier told him. "I'm willing to say you're the better..."

"Let's just say...we all did a great job." Troy answered, shaking his hand.

All of the Rangers looked skyward as a huge explosion ripped through the sky, and they saw The Armada Command Ship exploding devastatingly. In a massive fireball, the Armada Command Ship disappeared, taking with it the last remnants of the Empire.

"GOSEI!" Troy roared as he saw this. Everyone looked around as their suits started to glow, before disappearing. They all looked to their morphers, feeling no power from them. Once again, they were inert, useless devices.

"Our powers, they're gone." Troy stated. "But that means..."

"The Morphing Grid is gone." Tommy concluded with a sigh. "There's only one way that would happen."

"Gosei sacrificed himself for all of us." Emma said sadly. "He's..."

"He is gone!" They heard a booming voice echo through the air. They all looked up to see a massive, winged silhouette standing on top of a building. The voice was eerily familiar, and it chilled them all.

"Vrak?" Orion asked. They all watched as he leapt off the building, soaring down on what appeared to be feathered, angelic wings made of an unknown metal. He landed a little way from them, rising to his feet. He was wearing a new form or armour, far sleeker than his cybernetic form, and it looked like his face had been restored to normal. "No...we killed you! HOW?"

"For months, I've been perfecting my science and my magic. I prepared a clone of myself, infused with the very limits of magical and technological power at its disposal." Vrak told them. "When you destroyed my old body, I was already downloading myself into this new, all-powerful form! Not only did you free me from that monstrosity that Metal Alice turned me into, but you put my final plan into play!"

"You planned...?" Troy started to say, before he started to see it. "Wait...Emperor Mavro only came to Earth because both of his sons were destroyed!"

"Even with my brother out of the way, I'd still have had to wait on my father finally giving up his grip on life." Vekar declared regally. "When he believed that you Rangers had destroyed his precious heirs, he would never rest until..."

"Until he and Gosei destroyed each other." Troy surmised.

"Leaving me as the last one standing, and the Earth totally defenceless!" Vrak smirked as he stood before them.

"Not totally. We may not be Power Rangers anymore!" Jason said as they all prepared to fight. "But we'll never stop..."

"I thought you might say that." Vrak answered. Just then, thousands more robots suddenly appeared out of thin air. In a flash of light, Kingsmen, Bruisers and X-borgs surrounded the former Rangers on all sides, completely outnumbering them. "During my brief time at the helm...I saw fit to lay a little something aside for a rainy day. Take them alive!"

With that, the robots fell upon the former Rangers, attacking them mercilessly. He stopped one of the Kingsmen as he was about to attack.

"Restrain them and bring them to the rock quarry...they seem to be fond of that place." He told him. "Once we show them the futility of opposing me, we'll see how defiant they really are."

**A/N:** I got a lot of good answers about my challenge in the last chapter, including a few relating to the marine corp Sergeant Daly, who probably inspired the quote I meant! So...Kudos to all those who answered.

However, credit goes to Earthbird who got the connection I was looking for. The quote is from Starship Troopers, it was the catch phrase of Rayzack (and later Rico), the leader of the Roughnecks! The connection? Remember those cool uniforms the Terra Venture security forces wore? It's the same uniforms as the Mobile Infantry from Starship Troopers! Lost Galaxy was being filmed at the same time as Starship Troopers, and the production team managed to borrow the uniforms for use in the show! It was a cool connection that I really got a kick out of, loving both the show, and the movie!


	31. The Camp

Spike stumbled through the streets, helping his step-mother as they struggled to escape. They had believed that the war was over, that with Mavro's destruction the Earth was now safe, but they had all been proven horribly wrong. When he had shown up, descending from on high on his new wings, Vrak had revealed that all of this had been part of his grand scheme. He had used the two most powerful obstacles to his total victory to wipe each other out. When Gosei had sacrificed himself to destroy Mavro, removing the only member of the Royal Family now above him on the line of succession, he had also ended the Eltarian bloodline, and thus destroyed the last anchor maintaining the Morphing Grid.

While Jordan had Eltarian blood, he was only half-Eltarian. His connection to the bloodline of Eltar was not strong enough to hold the Morphing Grid together. With Gosei's death came the end of the Morphing grid, and so the main obstacle to Vrak's total victory. While he no longer had a fleet, without any powers, even a few of the remaining robots were a significant threat...and Vrak it seemed had stockpiled thousands for the occasion!

The Rangers, all 119, including their allies that hadn't been involved in the assault on Mavro's ship had fought bravely against Vrak and the reserves he had stockpiled for his takeover, but without any powers, without any Ranger weapons between them, the fight didn't take long to turn into a rout. While none of them lacked courage, and would have fought to the last, quickly they realised the futility of the situation and had to call an all-out retreat, intending to re-group and hopefully figure out what they could possibly do to stop the seemingly invincible forces Vrak now had at his disposal.

It was impossible to know the fate of the others. They had all scattered, hoping that if they split up then at least SOME of them would escape. More than half of the Rangers had already fallen by the time Zack had ordered the retreat, still more fell before they could get clear of the main battle ground. Kimberly had injured her ankle on some loose debris, going over her own ankle as she ran, forcing Spike to carry her much of the way.

He managed to find a pharmacy that had been deserted, and brought her inside, setting her down on the floor. Kimberly grimaced as he tried to straighten out her leg, getting a look at what he was working with.

"I'm sorry mom; I need to check it out." He told her.

"Just go on without me Spike." She told him. "I'm just going to slow you down."

"I'm not doing that mom, there's no way I'm leaving you." He answered as he checked her ankle. He moved her foot, feeling around the ankle for anything that wasn't where it should be. He hated seeing his mom hurt, but if there was something broken, he needed to know about it. "It doesn't look like it's broken. It's just a sprain by the looks of things. Maybe some muscle or ligament tears..."

"I was a gymnast for fifteen years Spike; I know what a blown ankle feels like." She assured him. "I'm not going anywhere in a hurry."

"Mom, we're in a pharmacy, I can fix up a support bandage." He told her.

"Spike, even if I do strap it up and take painkillers, I'm not going to be going anywhere fast." She stated as she held him close. "Just...get yourself out of here."

"Mom, I..."

"The most important thing is to survive Spike!" She interrupted him. "If you do that, you can always come back and try again!"

"How can I mom?" He asked her. "I was a Ranger for one whole day and I managed to screw it up!"

"You didn't screw up anything!" Kimberly assured him. "You were amazing out there! You're easily as good as any of the guys I worked with. I was so proud of you."

"But the powers are gone mom!" He reminded her. "We've got no weapons...we have nothing!"

"Hey, I've told you how many times we faced situations like that. I was a hell of a lot younger than you when I watched my first fleet of Zords being destroyed." She told him. "By the time I was your age, I had seen two sets of Zords and a third captured. I've seen things look hopeless. It only stays that way if you give up."

"I just...I wish I could have done more." He answered. "Gosei...if I could have..."

"Hey, we all felt that one." Kimberly told him. "I wasn't even a Ranger when it happened, but when Zordon died...I cried for a week straight. We can't be there for everyone. Gosei made his own decisions."

"Decisions that got him killed." Spike muttered. "He gave me that morpher...I feel like I let him down."

"It always feels like that when we get knocked on our asses." Kimberly assured him. "Sometimes it's hard, but what makes the difference...what's kept us going this long is that even when we've been down, even when we weren't that popular, no matter how many obstacles were thrown in our path, the Rangers have always come back!"

Just then, the window of the shop flew in. Spike threw himself at a Kingsman as he came through the window, followed by some bruisers, but it was too late. Quickly, both of them were overwhelmed. Spike felt himself being held fast by one of the bruisers as the Kingsman looked to them both.

"Take them both to the quarry." He ordered them. "Put them with the others, Lord Vrak wants to address them all personally."

On the shore, Jordan finally arrived, his hands painfully blistered from rowing all the way from Gosei's island to Harwood. He rolled out of the boat, and waded to the shore, not really caring if the boat drifted away. He didn't need it for the next stage of his mission.

His father had kept all of the details of his plan secret, even from him. He had never understood why, and everyone had found it frustrating, but in his final gift to Jordan, Gosei had gifted him with his own memory crystal. Jordan now knew the whole plan, he knew his purpose, and he finally understood why. If anyone had known what Gosei did, if anyone had realised what he needed to do, none of them would have gone along with it.

He managed to get up onto the freeway, finding a couple of cars that had been involved in a crash on the way out of town, simply abandoned. He went to the least damaged, and saw that the keys were still in it. In their desperation to get out of town, whoever had owned those cars had simply abandoned them and left them in search of another way to flee the carnage.

He got in, and turned the key, finding that the engine still started. He needed a way back into town, and figuring that the cops would have a lot more to worry about, figured no one would really care about a guy driving around in a smashed up car, one he doubted anyone would report stolen. He reversed out of the wreckage and turned the car around, crossing over the lanes and into the road back into Harwood.

At the Rock Quarry, most of the Rangers had already been rounded up. Over half of them had been taken before they could even flee the original battle ground, but as time went by, more and more of the Rangers were dragged to the holding ground at the quarry, some in better condition than others.

The droid army had set up a number of poles in the ground, which emitted a lightning field, keeping the Rangers captive inside. Anyone that attempted to leave had been knocked back by a painful, but non-lethal charge, keeping them in one place. They didn't know why exactly Vrak wanted them alive, but given their experiences, they had a feeling that he wanted to ensure that their end was a lot more memorable than simply being blasted by a faceless goon in the heat of battle. The latest arrival seemed to be an unconscious TJ, who was tossed carelessly inside where he was tended to by Cassie and Carlos.

"How many of us does that make?" Mack asked as Gia looked around. She was holding Cat closely, huddling under a blanket for comfort. They had been left medical supplies, food, the means to make a fire and blankets. While it wasn't exactly comfortable, it seemed like Vrak didn't want them to die of exposure before he got the pleasure of seeing to their end.

"I don't know exactly, but it looks like most of us." She sighed. "I stopped counting at 89."

"Frackkashlakah!" Orion screamed as he paced back and forward before the lightning field like a caged tiger, waiting to strike. He occasionally lashed out, hitting the field with inevitable results. Watching him, they were reminded of a caged animal trying out its enclosure, looking for some weak point to attack.

"What did he say?" Mack asked Gia. "I don't speak Andresian." Emma just shook her head.

"It's probably best you don't know, but I think you can take a guess by context." She answered. "How's Tyzonn?"

Tyzonn, as a Mercurian was able to pass through force fields...albeit at a cost. He had tried to escape, but it seemed that Vrak had anticipated this move, which is why he chose a lightning field.

"Well...he's not a puddle anymore; he managed to pull himself back together." Ronny answered. "But he's a little spaced."

Cat just sighed.

"What are you thinking about?" Gia whispered to Cat, who was very quiet. Cat had never intended to be a Ranger. She was never interested in Martial Arts...or fighting at all. She had spent most of her life avoiding fights. It was only because she knew Gia would be involved in the final battle that she had taken Gosei's offer of the morpher. Gia doubted she had any intention of a return as a Ranger. For Cat it was likely only ever meant to be a one-time deal. She had done it for Gia.

"Rudolph." She sighed. Gia just looked to her curiously.

"Rudolph?" Gia asked her.

"In the song, all the other reindeer make fun of him and don't let him play their games because of his nose...they're basically racists." Cat stated. "And Santa only asked him to guide the sleigh on the foggy Christmas Eve...so that says he hadn't asked him to do it before, which kind of sounds like he hadn't done anything about the other reindeer discriminating against Rudolph."

"Uh...what?" Anton Mercer asked as he overheard this. He had taken up Tommy's Dino Thunder morpher as a substitute. Others were looking at her too.

"Then everyone suddenly likes Rudolph because he helped them, but none of them ever apologised or made it up to Rudolph...and he never said anything about the discrimination...doesn't that seem kind of wrong?"

"Is she SERIOUSLY saying this?" Conner asked from where he was sitting.

"How hard was she hit?" Ethan asked.

"Trust me; she's like this most of the time." Emma replied as Gia held her. Cat was...different. She had known and loved her long enough to know that Cat wasn't oblivious to the situation she was in. She knew exactly where she was, and the danger they were all in. This was just her way of dealing with the interminable wait while Vrak decided their fate.

"Are you sure about that?" Trent asked.

"Trust us." The Corsair Rangers said together as Gia held Cat.

In another part of Harwood, Jordan returned to the house that he had shared with General Edwards before his death. It had been a long time since he had been back there; indeed...it had been a long time since ANYONE had been there. While Jordan had since been cleared of killing General Edwards, the man he believed to be his father up until that night as a result of the world finding out who he really was and knowing he couldn't have done it, the house was still technically his. It had been left to him in the General's will.

He stopped by to clean up and attend to some wounds, before getting some fresh clothing for the mission ahead. He had just finished getting dressed, when he saw his father's old dog tags on the dresser. Picking them up, something came back to him from Gosei's memory crystal.

In a rough part of some unknown city, a man was bundled roughly out of the door of some back-alley drinking hole by the security staff and tossed out into the street. He stumbled about to get his bearings, returning to his feet.

"You fucking ingrate, don't you know what I've done for this country?" General Edwards...then only a Sergeant roared as he staggered into the light. His eyes were bloodshot, his hair was long and unkempt, and his stubble looked like he had given up on shaving weeks before. It was a million miles from the dapper appearance and regimented lifestyle Jordan had grown up with.

"Beat it G.I. Boozehound!" The bouncer called back.

"I was fighting for this country..."

"You puked all over the bar!" The bouncer shouted back. "You're lucky we don't call the cops!"

"You wouldn't last five minutes..."

"Go home and sleep it off you useless drunk!" The bouncer stated, before slamming the door shut. Edwards just swore loudly, making rude gestures at the door, before staggering away.

"So, this is how you plan on spending your life?" He heard someone say from the shadows. He just looked to the figure in the shadows, before snorting and turning away.

"I'm not into religion." He snapped. "Sod off and try to save someone else."

"She never cheated on you." The figure replied. Edwards just stopped dead. That was his breaking point. He had come to terms with the fact he couldn't give his wife what she so desperately wanted. He had the tests, he knew the reason they'd never managed to conceive a child despite their years of trying was because of him. He felt like a failure, like he wasn't a real man, but he had after a time come to accept that he would never have a family.

When the doctor announced that they were expecting Jordan, what should have been a moment of joy had been clouded. It was a miracle, but it was a miracle he couldn't bring himself to believe in. No matter how many times his wife assured him that he was the only man she had been with, he still couldn't believe that the child was his. He understood how desperate his wife was to have a family. He would have been angry, but he'd have understood, and in time, he was certain he would have forgiven her if she could just tell him that she had gone to someone else for what he couldn't give her. His fists clenched in anger.

"Your wife has always been faithful." The stranger told him. "But given the way you've been acting these last few months...I wouldn't blame her for looking elsewhere."

Three months, that was how long it had been since he had found out his wife was pregnant. It should have been a cause for celebration, but his behaviour had become more and more erratic over time. It had gotten to the point that some of his superiors had sent him home on 'psychiatric grounds', on the understanding he see a counsellor with the intention of returning to duty. He had been to only two sessions, before seeking his comfort in the bottom of a bottle instead.

Edwards ran at the stranger, grabbing his long, hooded coat and ramming him into a wall in the alley.

"I don't know who you are, but..."

"But I know who YOU are!" The stranger replied, effortlessly picking up Edwards, running him to the other side of the alley, slamming him into the wall. "You are a self-pitying lowlife who has no idea what he has been entrusted with!"

He pulled down his hood, revealing the Phantom Ranger's helmet. It was Gosei! He thrust a memory crystal into his hand, which glowed brightly, indicating that it was imparting its memory. Edwards just looked to him.

"He will be your son in a way that he cannot be mine." Gosei told him. "He is more important than you can possibly imagine, and I chose you of all the people I could have chosen to raise him, to train him for what is to come."

"I...I don't..."

"You WILL do what I can't." Gosei told him. "You have spent your life doing your duty to your country. Now...you have a duty to the Earth."

With that, he disappeared.

Back in the house, Jordan breathed a sigh. He had always felt a rift between him and General Edwards, a distance that didn't feel like the relationship a father should have with a son. In time, he had learned that General Edwards wasn't really his father, and had come to believe that he had known, or at least suspected that was the case and resented Jordan because of it.

However, knowing about that night, when Gosei had straightened him out when Edwards was on a path of self-destruction, he had figured out that the General had always known he wasn't his son by blood. However, thinking back over his life, he could remember all he had done for him. He had sent him to Martial Artists to learn to fight. He had always pushed him in his studies; he had put him into Military Cadets. Jordan had thought he did all of that so that he would end up in the military, but he now understood, he was preparing him. In his own way, General Edwards had loved him, and he raised him for this time.

Jordan put on his father's dog tags, and prepared to leave the house, when something caught his eye. He smiled as he picked up a bag, and headed back into the house.


	32. The Confrontation

Back in the "camp" that Vrak had set up for the Rangers, they were all starting to settle in for the night. They still didn't know EXACTLY how Vrak intended to get rid of them, but the one thing that was clear was that he was in no hurry. His troops still occasionally brought back another Ranger they had found, throwing them into the holding area to be tended to by the others, so it looked like he was waiting until he had all of them in one place. The only thing that was clear looking around though was that this would not take much longer.

Wes approached Jen, who was cleaning up some of her wounds. She had been brought in around half an hour before. Her Time Force training gave her some idea of the kinds of things that fugitives did to evade capture, meaning she had lasted a lot longer than the others. However, eventually they had found her looking for some food in what was left of a Thai restaurant. Wes approached her, offering her a cup.

"It's coffee." He said with a smile. "Strong enough to stand the spoon up in, just the way you always liked it."

"Thanks." She said as she took it, setting it down a little way from her. Wes saw her struggling with a bandage, trying to apply it to her forearm. He let out a small laugh and reached for it, taking the bandage. Jen just let him start to wind it around.

"Even after all these years you're still trying to do everything yourself." He teased her. Jen just looked to him as he dressed the wound, securing it with a piece of tape. As she took the coffee, he sat with her. "Got to admit, you lasted well. Even a couple of the ninjas were brought in before you."

"I'm Time Force, remember?" She responded as he carefully dressed the wound. "Alex is the real master fugitive though. He led us on a merry dance for months. Sometimes I'm not convinced we'd have caught him if he hadn't led us straight to him."

"Yeah, Emma and the others told me about how he borrowed the Q-Rex for Orion." He answered with a little bit of a tense note in his voice as he sat with the woman he had loved. "So...um...that's the only interesting thing Emma told me about."

Jen had seen this coming when she knew that Wes would be taking part in the final battle. Alex was still being monitored, awaiting a disciplinary hearing to decide if he would face any repercussions for his actions in the past. While it was accepted he hadn't had any criminal intentions in his actions, along the way he had broken a number of laws, and they needed to sort out exactly what he would and wouldn't have to answer for before they even began deciding if he would be punished for any of them. The upshot was, he wasn't able to come back with the rest of the team, and since Wesley still had the red morpher anyway, it was really the best choice to bring him back.

"When Emma told me about the Ranger keys and we didn't have them, I kind of figured that you'd have them." She explained as she looked away from him. "I gave Emma that hologram because I was sure she'd figure it out. I guessed she'd probably tell you when you crossed paths."

"Emma told me you named her Eleanor." Wes said with a smile. Jen just nodded.

"I remembered you always said you wanted to name a kid after your mom." Jen told him. "It just felt right, because...well..."

"Because you knew I wouldn't be around." Wes asked her. Jen just nodded, wrapping her arms around herself. Wes moved a little closer, pulling a blanket around both of them. As Jen looked to him, he held up a hand.

"Hey, it's just for warmth. I know you've moved on." He assured her. "Or...well...moved back anyway."

"Wes, what we had was really special, and I wouldn't trade it for anything, but since I got back to the future, I just felt it in my heart, Alex is where my future lies." She told him. "He's been amazing through all of this."

"So, a girl huh?" Wes asked her. "What's she like?"

"She's a pain in the ass at times." Jen said with a smirk. "She's so smart, and strong-willed, she's always getting herself in some kind of trouble."

"That sounds familiar." Wes responded. "I guess given the genetics she had to work with, there wasn't much hope for her being any other way."

"Alex is great with her, he dotes on her constantly. He spoils her rotten at times, and they have a great connection." She continued. "She pretty much idolises him. She's such a daddy's girl..."

"Her words tailed off as she said this, looking to Wes. He knew what she meant; realistically Alex was the only father she'd known. It wasn't her fault that her father was a thousand years in the past. He forced a smile.

"So...um...does she know about...you know...me?" He asked her. Jen just nodded.

"We thought it was best to be straight with her." Jen told him. "We've told her a ton about you. I even let her have some of your old stuff from back in the day. She absolutely loves playing catch with your old baseball glove."

"You still have that thing?" Wes asked her with a smile. "That thing was mostly duct tape when I still owned it! I was sure that'd have fallen apart by now!"

"No matter how busy he gets, Alex always makes time to play whenever she asks." Jen informed him as she took a sip of her coffee. "When I watch them, I can't help smiling. In some ways, I think it's her way of being connected to both of you."

"I'm just glad she's happy." Wes said as he thought about her. "I just wish I could get to meet her or even just talk to her."

"I never meant to keep any of this from you." Jen assured him. "It's just...Time force is paranoid about its agents creating paradoxes. Alex had to pull out all the stops to convince everyone else that Eleanor's his kid just so they'd let us keep her. I couldn't have let anything happen to her."

"I'm really glad to know things worked out for you both." Wes replied. "Alex is a good man. I know he'll do anything to take care of both of you."

"I really wish things could have worked out differently." Jen told him.

"It's like you said, what we had was special. It's just...over." Wes answered. "You moved on, maybe it's time I did too."

"Listen, you still have that communicator right?" Jen asked him. He just nodded. "Well, it'd be breaking about a hundred Time Force regulations, but if we get out of this..."

"I'd love to talk to her." Wes interrupted her. Just then, they all looked up as another Ranger was dragged back to the camp, and kicked through the Lightning Field, joining the others. Aurico tried to get back out, but was punted onto his rear end as he hit the field and the charge went through him. Wes just sighed.

"By my count, that makes 117." Wes stated as Carter made his way over.

"That's what I counted too." Carter stated. "That means there are only two Rangers unaccounted for."

"Cole's nowhere to be seen." Taylor informed them.

"Hunter's missing too." Tori called over.

"A ninja and jungle boy." Wes chuckled. "It figures they're the ones that have been able to hide the longest."

"They might just buy us some more time." Taylor replied. "Let's just hope Vrak doesn't get impatient and change his mind about waiting until he has all of us."

In another part of the "camp", Orion was continuing to look around, testing out the limits of the Lightning field. As he was thrown back with another bright flash, Emma made her way to his side, grabbing him as he tried to stand back up.

"Orion, stop!" She told him. "You're only hurting yourself!"

"There has to be a way out of this!" He snarled. "There just HAS to be!"

"There isn't!" Emma snapped at him. "If there was, we'd have found it by now! We've got Anton Mercer, Billy Cranston, Trip...we have some of the greatest minds available right here, all working to find a way out. If they can't figure it out..."

"I've survived this long, through things I was certain would be my end!" He told her. "We can't give up! We can't..."

"We also can't just beat our way through that lightning field!" Emma interrupted him sharply. He got back up, heading for another part of the field. Ea screamed something at him in Andresian, causing him to pause. He turned back to her, looking at her in surprise.

"Where did you learn...?"

"After that incident with Gia, I figured a few more lessons in Andresian from Tensou were in order." She informed him. "I've got to say, there are a lot of surprisingly coarse expressions."

"Well, most of us were miners." Orion reminded her. "There weren't too many poets in my village."

"Come and sit down." She told him. Orion sat with her, at which she pulled in closer, taking a look at his hands. They were badly burned from where he had struck the field in his vain search for a weakness. Emma looked around for something to treat them with.

"Orion..."

"It's fine, really." He assured her. "I've had much worse."

Emma just looked to him as she started to dress his wounds.

"It's just...I've gotten out of so many hopeless situations before. I just...I believed that I was so close to getting through all of this. I was so close to seeing the end to the vengeance..."

"That's just it, what were you planning to do once this was all over?" Emma asked him. "Orion...vengeance can't be all that matters to you."

"Emma..."

"The way you hurt yourself like this really worries me." She told him. "If you don't care about yourself, I have to ask...what were you planning to do if you did get your revenge? What if you had managed to wipe out the whole Armada...what then? Andresia's still gone."

"I never thought that far ahead." Orion told her honestly.

"Orion, there are people that care about you." Emma reminded him. He just smiled at her.

"Emma, if there was anyone that would convince me of that, it's you." He answered. "No one's done more to try and salve the loss of my home than you."

"There's nothing we can do for those we've lost." Emma told him. "All we can do is try to live the best lives we can, so that their loss isn't meaningless."

She took a blanket and pulled it around him.

"Try to get some rest." She told him. "I'm sure this isn't the end."

Just then, they heard a commotion as someone else was dragged into view. This time, they were unconscious. As a lifeless form was thrown into the field, they saw that it was Cole.

"That only leaves one Ranger." Emma stated. "One more, and then..."

"Then Vrak's got us all." Orion stated.

In another part of the city, Jordan had taken to the streets, looking for any signs of the others. There were survivors all over, but as well as that, he found the streets still swarming with troops. He knew about Vrak's invasion, and he now knew that the others were powerless. Still, he hadn't gotten any sign of them. He didn't know where they had gone. He only knew that he was checking all the most likely places he could imagine they would look for shelter.

He heard a ruckus up ahead, and headed to see what was happening. He could see Hunter running through the streets, fighting for all he was worth against a group of the robotic soldiers. As Jordan was about to intervene, he noticed something odd. None of them were armed! They were going after Hunter without using any of their weapons. They tried using them as clubs and staffs, but they didn't try to utilise any of their energy weapons. Hunter did well, but he was quickly being overwhelmed by their numbers.

Jordan suddenly got a thought as he saw them struggling to gain the upper hand on the Thunder Ninja. They weren't trying to kill him; they were trying to capture him. They wanted him alive. Right now, no one was looking for him; everyone thought he had perished on the Command Ship when it blew up. This was probably the best chance he was going to get to find the others.

Despite his best efforts, eventually the robots managed to overwhelm Hunter, holding him in a tight grip that he just couldn't break. The Kingsmen signalled to the others, at which they dragged him away. Jordan followed them at a safe distance, making sure not to be seen, hefting a shoulder bag high onto his back.

Morning started to break over the rock quarry, and the Rangers were all starting to stir as the first light broke over the horizon. It had been a long and restless night as they awaited their fate. They all looked up as a shadow was cast over them by a winged creature. They all looked up to see Vrak descending slowly from the sky.

"Behold the Lord of the End Times, the Agent of your Destruction!" He declared as he slowly landed on the ground softly. He folded his wings up behind him as he stood before them. "Fall to your knees before me and declare fealty!"

"You know, you give a guy a pair of wings and suddenly he develops a God complex!" Zack said sarcastically.

"I am the most powerful and unstoppable creature in existence, and now...now there is no one left to stop me!" He declared as the last contingent of soldiers brought Hunter into view, throwing him into the field. The Rangers knew that this now meant there were no more Rangers free. They had all been brought into one place. "Fall to your knees and declare fealty! Bow to me as your one and only true Lord and beg for my mercy!"

"You never learn, we'll NEVER beg that of you!" Troy roared as he stood up and headed towards him. "Do what you want to us! As long as we're alive, we'll never give up!"

"The human race will never give up! There will always be someone willing to fight, powers or no powers!" Jason added as they all formed up before Vrak. "If you're going to do it Vrak, just do it, because if you leave us around, sooner or later, we WILL find a way to fight back!"

"Then you've made your decision. I can't say I'm surprised!" He declared. With a wave of his hand, his soldiers started to form up a perimeter around the quarry, cutting off any possible escape, even if they did somehow get out of the field. "Then I guess the only question is...who goes first?"

As he stood in the centre, with none of his soldiers nearby, the Rangers all looked at him curiously.

"You want to take us yourself?" Shane asked.

"Why leave such things to underlings?" He asked them. "Now, should I choose, or will you?"

"I'll go." Tommy stated.

"No, I will!" Conner shot out. "I want a piece of this guy!"

There was no shortage of volunteers as the Rangers all prepared to step up to the plate, but eventually they all looked around as there was a blast. They all watched as Jordan walked out of a large cloud of smoke.

"How about I go first?" He asked.

"YOU!" Vrak roared as he saw him. "I thought..."

"It's just like you Vrak; you want to start the next dish before you've finished with the first." Jordan declared. "I may only be half-Eltarian, but why start with the humans before you've finished with us?"

"Are you so eager to die?" Vrak asked him.

"Who said anything about dying?" Jordan asked him, hefting his bag. "I've got all I need right here."

"A secret weapon?" Vrak said with a small chuckle. "You really think...?"

"I'm giving you one last chance to leave with your life." Jordan told him with authority.

"I've come too far to back out now!" Vrak stated as he rounded on Jordan.

"In that case, I guess we do this the hard way." Jordan said with a little smirk. "I'll tell you what; I'll even give you a fighting chance."

He threw the bag into the middle of the quarry, a good distance from them, leaving him completely unarmed.

"Jordan, what the hell are you doing?" Gia screamed at him. "This is no time to..."

"I know what I'm doing Gia!" He answered.

"Arrogance always was an Eltarian failing, but most of them were never foolish." Vrak laughed. "I guess you're more human than you thought."

"I take that as a compliment!" Jordan answered, pulling into a guard. "Now, how about we see this end?"


	33. Jordan's Secret Weapon

The assembled Rangers, all 119 of them, stood, waiting for the battle to begin. Not all of them knew Jordan particularly well. Indeed, with the exception of the current team, the majority of them had never met him! As Vrak started to circle him, his gaze seeming to burn through Jordan, like he was dissecting him with his eyes, analysing him for any details as to why he felt so emboldened he had just walked into the middle of an army single—handed, without any noticeable arsenal of any kind and far from doing so to give up, he was actually offering VRAK the chance to leave with his life!

"Jordan, if you have something up your sleeve..."

"Its fine Gia, I've got this." Jordan told her.

"Really? Because Vrak's kind of scary." Cat added, rubbing the side of her face. "And...he hits really hard."

"So, are you just going to stare at me?" Jordan asked him.

"I'll destroy you soon enough." Vrak stated.

"You'll try." Jordan said with a smirk. With that, Vrak rushed towards Jordan, swooping in on his wings, looking to end the battle in a single blow. Rather than run, Jordan ran towards him, before dropping and sliding along the ground, under Vrak's first strike. The evil overlord landed a little way off, folding up his wings behind him, turning to stare at Jordan.

"You're just delaying the inevitable." Vrak told him. Jordan just stood before him and beckoned him forward, knowing how this was going to end before the first blow was thrown as a result of the Memory Crystal.

In the past, on the distant world of KO 35, there was an assembly in an ancient temple. It was a surprisingly Spartan affair for a venue like this, there were only around 20 or so in attendance, all of whom Jordan recognised from the memories he had seen. It was all the Rangers who had fought in the battle against Astronema and the United Alliance of Evil. He could see his father standing at the front of the hall, staring up at the podium, where another name was being added to the large, black obelisk that honoured those who had fallen in defence of the galaxy. He recognised the Eltarian language as a new name was etched into it, being rendered in golden lettering. It was Zordon's name.

Kimberly was at the front of the hall, standing on the podium, tears in her eyes as she delivered the eulogy.

"When this all began, I...I was totally different. I thought that my parents getting divorced was the end of the world, and the most important thing in my life was getting into a good college." She concluded. "Zordon showed me so much more than I even began to imagine existed. I'm not exaggerating when I say I owe everything I am today to him. He was like a father to me, and in the end...he became a father to all of us."

She turned to the obelisk.

"Goodbye Zordon." She declared. "I'll always miss you."

Tommy came to the podium, hugging Kimberly as she prepared to leave, before turning to the floor.

"Does anyone else have something they'd like to say?" He asked. Just then, the doors at the back of the hall opened, and a man in a cloak entered. The others all turned to him as he came in, pulling down his hood. It was Andros. As he headed for the podium, Jordan could see he was hesitant. He could only look around at the others who seemed uneasy to see him there. As he approached, Gosei got into the aisle, standing in his way. Andros just stood, staring at him as Zack stepped into the aisle to approach him.

"Andros, this isn't a good idea." Zack told him. "Just..."

"I needed to come." Andros told him.

"Seriously, just...come back later." Zack told him. Andros brushed past him and headed for the obelisk, stopping before Gosei, who barred his path.

"I only came to pay my respects." He stated. The next thing any of them knew, Andros was flying down the hall, blood streaming down his face as Gosei hit him as hard as he could. The others quickly moved to intercept him.

"MURDERER!" He screamed at him angrily. "How DARE you show your face here?"

"I only came to pay my respects!" Andros protested.

"Seriously, just go!" Jason told him. "Come back later. This isn't going to do anyone any good."

As Zhane helped Andros up, and got him out of the temple, Gosei teleported out, heading to his private chambers. As he stormed around, smashing things to alleviate his temper, he noticed something that was out of place. It was a memory crystal. He activated it, finding Zordon had left him a message.

Jordan had gotten a similar message from Gosei, and knew exactly how he would be feeling. He could guess what the subject of the message was. He would hear Zordon explain how he had planned his sacrifice all along, and to ask Gosei to forgive whoever ended up being the follower who would strike the final blow. More than that, he would be telling Gosei that their work was not yet done. He could never remember feeling more of a connection between him and his father than at that point.

Back in the present, Jordan avoided Vrak's strikes, blocking when he was just a little too slow to actually dodge. Vrak sent him skidding backwards with a back-swipe from one of his wings, but Jordan managed to stay on his feet, scrabbling on the loose stone of the quarry floor. He looked up to Vrak.

"Keep it up Vrak!" Jordan told him as he straightened up. "Let's see what this body of yours can really do!"

"Jordan, what the hell are you doing?" Jake screamed at him. "Stop dancing around and fight back!"

"That's just it isn't it? You don't have anything do you?" Vrak taunted him. "You're bluffing!"

"If you want to think that, then you're just as dumb as I thought!" Jordan answered. "In a minute I might start fighting back, so make your next decisions count!"

Vrak ran at him, at which Jordan ran away, before leaping up, springing off a rock face, hitting Vrak with a hard roundhouse kick. Vrak stumbled away, more out of shock than any real injury.

"Yes!" Emma screamed, seeing him stagger Vrak. "That's it, keep it up!"

"Typical Tuesday!" Jordan taunted him. "Alright Vrak, you're in for it now!"

He strode forward, and threw a punch into his chest...where his hand rebounded off it with an anti-climactic clang. Everyone just stared in disbelief.

"That...that's it?" Jason asked.

"Um...OK, that's not good." Andros added. Jordan just looked up to Vrak, who hit him with a massive back-handed strike, sending Jordan spinning through the air, crashing to the ground hard a long way off. He just turned to the other Rangers and started laughing.

"You see, this is your last great hope?" He asked them. "Once I'm finished with him, I'll start on the rest of you!"

Jordan started to haul himself to his knees, seeing some blood starting to drip onto the ground. He looked up at Vrak, just in time to see him flying towards him. Seizing Jordan by the throat, he rose up into the air about ten feet, before throwing him back down into the ground with a sickening crunch. Jordan coughed and spluttered as he fought for breath, his mind going back to what he had seen.

In the past, Gosei was in an ancient cave, carved with images of the Corona Aurora, on his knees before a throne. The Sentinel Knight sat on a throne, made of an unknown alien metal, the same material from which he had constructed the crown. He leaned forward, resting an elbow on his knee, and his chin on his hand, considering what Gosei had told him.

"I know I am asking a lot." Gosei told him. "But you know as well as I do the power Mavro has."

"You are certain of this plan?" The Sentinel Knight asked him. Gosei just nodded his head.

"For what it's worth, I am not asking you to do anything I am not prepared to do myself. My time has come." Gosei assured him. "I just need to ensure that I am in position when my time comes. The fate of the galaxy relies on it."

"Then we have no choice." The Sentinel Knight responded. "What of the boy?"

"He will learn of his role when the time is right." Gosei answered.

Back in reality, Vrak firmly had the upper hand, and was taking his time, picking Jordan apart; toying with him like a cat toyed with a mouse, taking him a little piece at a time.

Jordan felt some of his teeth flying out of his head as Vrak punched him hard, sending him sprawling across the ground. The evil creature started stalking him as he struggled to regain composure.

"Jordan, shake it off!" Gia yelled at him, seeing he was only a few feet from the bag he had thrown aside. She started pointing frantically. "Your bag! The secret weapon! It's right there!"

"Yeah, the weapon!" Troy added. "Jordan!"

Jordan managed to clear his vision enough to see it, and started to scramble towards the bag. Vrak saw this and started to make his way towards him slowly.

"So, you finally want your secret weapon do you?" Vrak taunted him as he approached. "I'm almost curious to see what you believe will save you, but you're really starting to bore me now!"

Vrak grabbed Jordan by the scruff of the neck, hauling him up. Jordan just managed to grab the strap to the bag, pulling it in before he was on his feet, being held in front of Vrak, staring right into his eyes.

"My brother may have been arrogant, but at least he had some grounding for his overconfidence. You...you have nothing." Vrak told him. He grabbed him by the hair, preparing to snap his neck. "Any last words?"

"Vrak..." He croaked out, before spitting straight in his eyes. Vrak released him, starting to wipe the blood and spit from his face. Jordan reached inside his bag, pulling out his secret weapon and smashed it straight into Vrak's face, where it shattered into pieces. "You're TOAST!"

All the Rangers just stared in complete amazement at what they had seen as Vrak staggered and swayed. His hand strayed to his face, holding where he had been hit, but again he seemed to be more shocked than actually hurt.

"He didn't." Gia muttered.

"He did." The others chorused in disbelief. Vrak smashed Jordan with one of his wings, sending him flying, without even looking at him. Jordan crashed to the ground a little way off.

Vrak pulled his hand away, seeing it covered in blood. A superficial gash had opened up on his face, one of the few parts of his body that wasn't armoured from a piece of sharp shrapnel from the attack. He stared down at the wreckage beneath him, then over at Jordan.

"A toaster?" He yelled in indignation at the sheer audacity of the attack. "I'm the most powerful being in the universe...and you ASSAULT ME WITH A KITCHEN APPLIANCE?"

"I had to do it." Jordan replied, getting onto his knees and throwing his arms aside. "Now, you were going to finish me?"

Vrak strode over towards him, throwing an armoured fist in his direction. Before it connected though, Jordan caught it, and a huge metallic clang reverberated around the whole quarry. Vrak's eyes opened wide as the Robo Knight Armour started to segment out of Jordan's body and form up around his arms. He looked up in time to see an armoured fist heading straight for him. He was sent crashing into the rock-face behind him. As he looked back, the last of Jordan's armour formed around him, and he saw the Robo Knight standing before him. "It can't be..."

The others saw their morphers starting to repair themselves and glowing with power. Jordan powered up his Robo Blaster, taking Vrak down to get himself some space, before blowing apart one of the generators, causing the Lightning Field to disappear.

"Some of you fought for my Grandfather!" Jordan declared loudly. "Others even fought alongside my father! Now I ask you to follow me! One last time! For the Earth!"

"You heard the man!" Troy called out as he reached for his morpher. "It's Morphin' Time!"


	34. An Angel Falls

**A/N:** Sorry for the hiatus folks...but this chapter took a lot of thought on my part. Hope it was worth the wait.

The sound of clashing weapons and power blasts rang out from the quarry, while energy weapons lit up the sky so brightly that they could be seen as far away as the city. Vrak had wanted the moment of his triumph to be private, to be reserved just for his pleasure, and as a result had kept people away from the quarry. It turned out to be yet another mistake. It meant that this time, there were no civilians around to consider. There was no danger of casualties. The Rangers could cut loose!

Zack sliced through two Kingsmen in a single blow with his Power Axe in a single shot, unleashing the full extent of his power into the blow. He smiled as he watched them fall to the ground.

"It feels kind of good cutting loose like this doesn't it?" He asked Tommy as the White Ranger took down some Bruisers with power blasts from Saba. "I knew we always held back in our day, but I didn't know how much we were pulling our punches!"

"I know exactly what you mean." Tommy answered with a grin. "You have no idea how much of an eye opener that moon mission was."

They turned around as a bunch of machine parts rained in on them from an explosion behind them. Tommy saw a smoking crater, and a little way off, the Black Dino Ranger retrieved his Brachio Staff from the ground. He smiled.

"Nice job Anton!" Tommy called over. "I knew I picked well."

"Of course you wouldn't need replacements if you didn't keep losing your powers." TJ teased him as he took down four X-borgs in quick succession. "I might have lost my powers once, but losing five sets of powers? That's just careless!"

"So says the man that once became an ingredient in a calzone!" Eric chuckled as he hacked down attackers left and right.

"It was a pizza actually!" TJ protested. "Um...that's not much better thinking about it."

"Move it or lose it!" They heard someone calling out, and they scattered just before Robo Knight came crashing into the ground, slamming Vrak down with him. He was sent back-flipping away as Vrak hit him with beams from his eyes, hitting the ground hard. Vrak looked over to him as he started to stride over.

"I don't know how you did it, but powers or not, you're STILL no match for this ultimate form!" Vrak screamed at him. "It is the perfect mesh of technology, science and genetics! I have united all the most powerful..."

"Would you PLEASE shut up?" Troy yelled as he leapt into the fray, firing his blaster at Vrak, who swatted aside the blasts. Orion was quickly over to join him, brandishing his Silver Spear with unbridled fury as he attacked the last Commander of the Armada.

"Jordan, get off your ass!" Orion yelled at him. "You brought us to the dance; you don't get to sleep until the music stops!"

On the ground though, Jordan was just catching his breath. While he now had his armour, and his power back, the battle with Vrak had taken quite a bit out of him. He was sure that without the armour, he would likely not even be standing, never mind in the fight. His thoughts drifted back to the images in the Memory Crystal.

In a bygone age, long before man was recognisable as the modern people it was now, Zordon was in the remains of his ship, which he had taken to using as his base of operations. In order to avoid panicking the local people, he had the ship draw in materials to disguise itself as something a little less conspicuous and a little more in keeping with the local scenery. Stone had now formed up around it, creating a cylindrical building, rising out of a cliff, the structure that would be known as his Command Centre when the day came.

Alpha, his servant droid was assisting him, but Jordan could see that he was still troubled by the process. Zordon had always cautioned against the use of magic, and given what had happened to Lord Scimitar, it was difficult to argue. They now knew he was conquering far off worlds under his new title of Lord Zedd, but Zordon sincerely doubted it would be long before he came seeking revenge for his disfigurement.

"Zordon, please, you can't do this!" Alpha protested. "There are other power sources on this planet!"

"I know Alpha, but we don't have time." Zordon told him. "Lord Zedd is already sending one of his agents our way. The people of this planet have barely mastered basic tools. It will take millennia for them to have the technology they need to repel a threat like that."

"But Zordon, I've found another energy source!" Alpha told him. "There are gems all over the planet that emit a strong..."

"We don't have time to find them." Zordon replied. "There is no other way."

The ship's sensors sounded an alarm, at which Alpha ran to the viewing globe. He started flailing in panic.

"Ay-yi-yi! There's a ship coming this way! There are life signs aboard, powerful ones!" Alpha warned him. "Zordon..."

"Don't worry Alpha, I'm ready." Zordon told him. "By the sacrifice of blood, I will create the power grid that will give the humans the power they need to defend themselves."

"Sacrifice of blood?" Alpha asked.

"If an Eltarian is willing to shed the blood of his enemies, and to sacrifice his own blood in defence of the Galaxy, the power grid will remain."

"But Zordon, there are so few Eltarians left!" Alpha replied worriedly. "There are only..."

"I am well aware of that Alpha, that's why I created this." Zordon told him, powering up an energy tube. Alpha just looked to it, recognising the energy signature.

"A time warp!" He stated. "You...you can't be serious!"

"Be ready to put me into the time warp when the deed is done." Zordon told him. "I have a feeling I'll need it soon enough."

He picked up his staff and started to make his way outside.

"Zordon, where are you going?" Alpha asked him.

"I'm going to greet our guests." He answered. "Be strong my old friend. These humans will need you."

Back in the present, Jordan finally managed to shake off the cob webs as a pair of hands helped him to his feet. The Red Zeo Ranger looked to him.

"Are you alright?" David Trueheart asked him. Jordan just nodded. He gestured towards where Troy and Orion were battling with Vrak. "Then they could do with your help."

Vrak managed to get some space, and threw himself into the air, his wings bearing him into the sky, where he started to launch blasts down at the Red and Silver Corsair Rangers, taking them down. Jordan leapt up into the air, attaching the Vulcan Bullet to his Robo Blaster, and opened fire, obliterating Vrak's wings. The evil overlord fell, crashing to the ground as Jordan landed, converting it back into Robo Blade mode.

"My wings!" Vrak screamed. "I will replace them, but for that...I'll make you SUFFER!"

"Like I haven't heard that before!" Jordan responded, running at Vrak. He caught Jordan's blade, ripping it from his hand and throwing it away, before punching Jordan hard in the chest. Jordan felt a hot knife of agony coursing through him, even through the chest plate. He recognised it from his days in full-contact on the military bases. His ribs were broken. He had broken them earlier, but Vrak was so strong that even through the armour his blows were affecting him. He fell to his knees breathlessly.

"You're weakening Eltarian!" Vrak taunted him. "I don't know how you pulled this off, but I do know one thing...it isn't going to be enough. Soon, you'll be gone, and with it, Earth's last hope."

"You really do talk too much!" Orion answered as he and Troy rejoined the fight, giving Jordan some time to recover. He clutched his chest, feeling blood welling up in his mouth as he struggled to keep going.

In the past, Gosei was in The Library with the projection of Pythia, who sat on a set of stairs weeping. He approached her, stroking her hair.

"How...how could you do this?" She asked him. "How could you?"

"It was the only way." Gosei told her. "The Morphing Grid was a good idea, but it was fundamentally flawed. It was based on a bloodline too frail to maintain it. While my father resided in the time warp, it would have remained indefinitely, but with him gone, it is aging towards its end just like my kind. The Morphing Grid is doomed to collapse."

"But..."

"The Earth needs a Morphing Grid." Gosei interrupted her. "But it needs one based on a more stable bloodline. The power just needs a bridge, a way to cross from the old to the new, and that required one that shared both bloodlines."

"But he's your SON!" She yelled at him.

"You think I don't feel for him? Do you really think I wouldn't have found another way to do this if I didn't have to?" He asked her. "I gave up my son! I was unable to raise him, to even speak to him or see him until the Robo Knight brought him to me! Now...I cannot even risk telling him what his true purpose is! I know he will resent me, and I cannot risk that."

"You offered him up as a sacrifice and you aren't even telling him!" She protested. He just sighed.

"I won't even live to see the end, to explain my actions." He told her. "He must play his part, and I need you to ensure that he does. I only pray that he will understand."

Jordan finally managed to shake himself back into the present, finding that the Rangers were still working their way through the army of droids. Their numbers were thinning, the combined might of every Ranger on Earth being the deciding factor, but he still knew that for all of this to end, Vrak had to die. If they didn't finish him, then he would simply flee and find somewhere to hide, to bide his time until he could find new allies or build up a new army. He was too dangerous to allow to live.

He got up, and looked around, finding his Robo Blade. He snatched it up and powered up the blade, before rushing over.

"Orion, Troy, hold him!" Jordan called out. The Red and Silver Rangers did as they were told, each grabbing an arm and holding him steady. Vrak struggled to release himself as Jordan rushed into him, ramming the Robo Blade into his chest, straight through him. His armour cracked as Jordan channelled his energy into it. Vrak just screamed out in pain.

"Don't you get it yet Vrak? Does your brilliant mind not see what happened?" Jordan asked. "I NEEDED you! I relied on your arrogance! The formation of the Morphing Grid relied on a blood sacrifice!"

A pulse of energy shot out of the blade, which shattered Vrak's armour. Jordan just glared into his eyes.

"The Eltarian bloodline is gone, but I am not a pure-blood Eltarian! I share both human and Eltarian blood!" Jordan told him. "Because I shed your blood, and was willing to shed my blood in battle, I transferred that power into a new Morphing grid, but because of my human half, it's now based on the human bloodline!"

He kicked Vrak back away from him, sending him skidding across the ground as the others started finishing up with the droid army. There were perhaps only a couple of dozen left as Jordan stood before Vrak.

"Now, as long as there is one human willing to fight, willing to shed blood and have their blood shed in defence of the Earth, there will ALWAYS be a Morphing Grid!" Jordan told him. "And we have you to thank for making that happen!"

"You...you...you planned this all along?" He asked. Jordan just smiled.

"It's a family thing." He responded. "Troy, you take this one."

Troy summoned the Cannon as the other Corsair Rangers formed up behind him, holding onto him and lending him their power. Vrak fired off a blast, which rocked them, almost knocking them down, but the Rangers braced and held firm.

"It'll take more than that to finish me!" Vrak warned them, firing off another blast. This one drove all of them back as he summoned up everything he had.

"We don't doubt it!" Jason added, running and placing his hand on Emma's shoulder. Finishing off their opponents, one by one, the Rangers formed up behind the Corsairs, each connecting, and channelling their energy through. The weapon started to glow brightly, being pushed well beyond the limits of what it was designed to withstand.

"WHY WON'T YOU JUST DIE?" He screamed, unleashing all the energy he had left into the assembled Rangers. They all stood their ground, their suits sparking as they did their work to protect them. As Vrak finally ran out of power, slumping to his knees, the Rangers' suits faded, leaving them un-morphed. He could see that they were still there though, and the weapon was glowing brightly. "This...this can't be!"

"Say Hi to your dad and your brother for us!" Jake yelled as Troy pulled the trigger. The blast went straight through Vrak, and the cliff behind him, the blast taking out a huge area behind him, creating a massive canyon through the rock quarry. As the dust settled though, they saw Vrak's charred remains kneeling before them, but one gust of wind later, and his ashes scattered to the wind.

Orion started to make his way towards the charred Earth and knelt down, running his fingers over it. Emma came to his side.

"It's...its over." He stammered, looking to the blackened ash on his fingers. "It's finally over!"

Everyone cheered and started to celebrate as they surveyed the wreckage around them. They had all come, some of them having retired almost 20 years previously for one last battle, to ensure the world was safe, and now, the greatest threat any of them had ever known was now finally nothing more than ash.

"Hey, Jordan, you were amazing!" Troy called out, looking around for him. "Jordan?"

He started to approach, seeing Jordan holding his sides, and starting to sway as he walked. After a moment, he fell to his knees, and then face-first to the ground.

"JORDAN!" He screamed as he saw this. Everyone looked around to see him on the ground. Dana ran to his side.

"Give me some room!" She called out. "Guys, give me some room!"

She started to work on Jordan, finding his breathing laboured. She looked pale as he observed him.

"His ribs are broken...his lungs...I think they're punctured." She told them. "We need to..."

"Troy." Jordan managed to say.

"Don't try to talk, just..."

"Troy." Jordan repeated. Troy just knelt by his side, the other Corsairs joining him. He smiled. "I guess I got to be the hero after all."

"Yeah, you did." Troy answered. "Just stay calm, we'll..."

"No, you've done enough." Jordan told him. "And by the looks of things, so have I."

"Jordan..."

"The Morphing Grid needed a sacrifice." Jordan told them. "Now I guess comes the part that sucks about being a martyr."

"Jordan, don't talk like that." Gia begged him, tears running down her face. Although they had loved teasing each other mercilessly, they were very close, good friends. Jordan just smiled as he reached up to her.

"Hey, it's alright. It really is." Jordan assured her. "How many people get to save a whole planet?"

"But...it's...it's not fair." Troy stated. "Jordan..."

"It was a war Troy." Jordan reminded him. "There was never going to be a happy ending."

With that, the last of his strength failed, and his hand fell. The Rangers fell silent as the Last Son of Eltar breathed his last.


	35. A Legendary Send-Off

Gosei's island seemed very different with so many people on it. To the best of the Corsair Rangers' knowledge, they had been the first humans that had ever set foot on it, but today, it was pretty busy. All 119 Rangers had been invited to teleport to the island.

There hadn't been much of a discussion on the matter after Jordan's death. It just seemed right that he would be laid to rest here. He had brought about the end of the war, and had created a new Morphing Grid that would keep the Earth safe long after his sacrifice. His importance to the Ranger legacy couldn't be ignored. While there were other ideas of what to do with his remains, the last thing anyone wanted was for his resting place to become some kind of side-show attraction, or worse, that it could be exposed to any kind of backlash from people wanting to exact some kind of revenge for some perceived slight that the Rangers had visited upon them. Now that the Morphing Grid was back online, the defensive illusions were back in place, hiding the island from anyone that didn't have a morpher, and so they knew he would rest in peace.

Orion, Jake and Troy were outside, preparing the grave site. Others volunteered to help with the digging to let them rest, but they took the lead, feeling that Jordan had been their team mate, and that it was only right that they were the ones to bury him.

As they waited for the site to be prepared, Emma was sitting out on a ledge, looking out over the island. Although she loved her time as a Corsair, one of the things she had missed dreadfully was the island. Being hidden from humans, it had remained virtually unchanged since it had broken off from the mainland millions of years previously. The environment here had survived virtually untouched by anyone. It was one of the favourite places she had been in the whole world. Of all the strange and new things they had seen in her adventures, she loved the fact that there were things she could see here that just weren't around any other place in the world. She smiled as she watched the island's most unique inhabitant, the one and only sasquatch, grazing in the undergrowth. She didn't notice as Anton Mercer appeared behind her.

"If I hadn't seen it myself, I would never have believed it. You really have bigfoot?" He asked. Emma just sighed.

"You used to be a mutant dinosaur, and this is the jumping off point for your disbelief?" Emma asked him. He just let out a small laugh as he sat with her, moving a little gingerly.

"Wow, Tommy wasn't kidding when he said this Ranger stuff hurts, even with the suits." He responded as he sat next to her. "I suppose you have a point. It's just...science has always been looking for the missing evolutionary links, I'd really love to study him."

Emma just glared at him, but he held up his hands defensively.

"Hey, I didn't mean taking him anywhere or doing any kind of lab work on him. He's far too magnificent a creature to harm." He insisted. "I got into Paeleontology for a reason. I don't have to worry about harming any of the creatures I study, they've all been dead for millions of years. I was just thinking...perhaps I could take a look at him once he's lived out his days here."

"I'm about to bury one of my best friends." Emma reminded him. "Do you seriously want to talk about this now?"

"Sorry, I guess sometimes the scientist in me gets the better of me." He answered apologetically. "Your friend, I didn't really know him, but he was clearly a remarkable man."

"That's Jordan; he never did anything by halves." Emma sniffed as she wiped her nose. "He wasn't content with just being a Ranger. He had to go and martyr himself to create a new Morphing Grid."

"He gave the world a fantastic gift." He answered with a smile.

"Yeah, just like his grandfather, and his father." Emma replied. "What is it with Eltarians and their martyr complex?"

"Well, I can't speak for the Eltarians specifically, but if there's one thing I've come to believe from my years in Palaeontology, it's that every species has a purpose, has some great gift to impart on the world before the end of their days. The ability to maintain our own body temperature, the ability to make and use tools, the opposable thumb...all species have given us their gifts."

"I know, but their gifts...their gifts cost me one of my best friends. Gosei's gift cost us one of the best friends we've ever had!" Emma told him. Anton took a deep breath.

"For he so loved the world, he gave his only begotten son." He answered. Emma just furrowed her brows. "What?"

"I just...wasn't expecting someone so heavily into science to quote the bible." Emma replied.

"The two paths are not mutually exclusive." He assured her. "I took a lot of comfort in my faith following my Mesagog days. I've seen a lot of darkness in my life, and that's just what works for me. I use my faith to give me the strength to carry on, and use my gift to help the world and make amends for what I did as that monster."

"That's one way of looking at it I guess." Emma replied as she thought about it.

"I'm already eager to get back to my work. One of my excavation teams believes they've found a perfectly preserved early Homo Sapien in a glacier in Alaska." He informed her. "But I just had to pay my respects first. He's been there for about 10,000 years or so give or take, I think he can wait a bit longer."

Just then, Jason came out of the cave entrance, rousing their attention.

"It's time." He told them. Emma just nodded as she got up. Jason helped Anton, seeing he was a little stiff from the action.

"I have a feeling there's a reason they usually pick teenagers for all this." He stated.

"Believe me; I've got a few aches and pains today." Jason assured him. "This all hurts a lot more than I remember."

With that, they went back to the cave.

A little while later, the Rangers were all assembled in a clearing, a little way from the cave. They had all lined up, facing out to sea. Mack and Katie hefted a huge, black stone into place, positioning it in a small hole that had been dug to give it a foundation to keep it upright as a marker. It had an epitaph carved into it, honouring all of those that had fallen in the final battle. After securing it in place, they all stood, forming a path up the centre. The Corsair Rangers were all in the front row, together with some of their close friends. Cat held Gia's hand, offering her some support as the procession began. In honour of Jordan and his ancestors, the original six Rangers carried Jordan down the aisle on a stretcher, covered with a cloak, which Tensou had made for him. In the Eltarian custom, it had been made in his family's colours, and embroidered with the images of his accomplishments. It was his surcoat, and in his final journey, it acted as his shroud.

Troy made his way to the front as they carried him to the grave they had dug. He had faced the Rangers assembled before him, and prepared to begin.

"I've never met anyone who wanted to be a hero more than Jordan." Troy began as he faced the others, trying to find inspiration for what he wanted to say. "The first time I met him, he had only just arrived in town, and he was going around telling everyone he was the Red Ranger."

The others couldn't help smiling as they recalled that. It was a little irritating at the time, especially since Jordan pretty much made out that he did all the work to keep the city safe all by himself, not knowing that the real Rangers were in the Brainfreeze and could hear every word he was saying.

"However, unlike others that simply talk about wanting to be heroes, Jordan was willing to put himself on the line and back up his words. He tried to take on a monster without any powers...which admittedly went about as well as anyone would expect, but that didn't stop him being willing to put his money where his mouth was when the situation called for it. He even had the courage to weather the storm when he came clean about not being a Ranger."

"However, he did get his opportunity when he became the Robo Knight." Troy continued his story. "And I think we can all admit, that he had more than a few rocky moments, but he managed to come through it all, even when he found out more than a few surprising things about himself, things I'm not sure many of us would have blamed him from being freaked out by."

As Jordan was lowered into the grave, he looked to Jake and Orion, who started to fill in the grave.

"In the end, he's been one of the most courageous and greatest people I've ever had the pleasure of knowing." He said, looking to the grave. "He's been a Hero, a mentor, an ally, but most of all, a friend. Goodbye Jordan. May the Power protect you forever."

The rest of the Rangers all filed past the grave, heading from the site, each saying their own quick goodbye, before teleporting away.

A couple of hours later, everyone arrived back at the hotel, where Anton and Andrew Hartford had clubbed together to arrange a suitable event to give Jordan a good send-off. The staff were curious when they asked specifically that food and refreshments were prepared, and then the staff left for the night, but between them, Anton and Andrew's black credit cards were enough to convince the management that there was nothing to fear leaving them alone in the building. It was the only way they could bring the Corsair Rangers back to the hotel without revealing who everyone else was.

The atmosphere took on a surprisingly upbeat tone as the night continued. The war was over, everyone was relieved to get back to their lives...hell, to even have lives to go back TO considering how close The Armada had come to destroying everything, but it didn't really feel inappropriate. Jordan had been such a fun and upbeat kind of guy that in the end, they chose more to celebrate his life than mourn his passing.

Gia was sitting, listening to Jake relaying one of the many stories he had of their days on the soccer team together, explaining how he used to lead them more through raising their spirits and making them enjoy the game than any form of harsh drilling. Carlos and Conner, as fellow soccer players, were the most interested in it, but a huge laugh went up as Jake relayed a story of how Jordan once turned up to practice, and realised he had forgotten his shirt...so he had rectified the situation by painting his body in the team colours.

Gia couldn't help smiling, hearing this as Cat sat with her, handing her a glass of wine.

"You seem happy." Cat told her.

"I do miss him." Gia admitted. "Most of these people barely knew him. Some hadn't met him before today, but I just...I love the fact that he was so important to all of them."

"He was important to everyone." Cat told her. "I kind of feel like maybe we should do something else, you know...to honour him or something."

"I'd love to, but...I don't know what." Gia answered.

"Well, he did do all this to save Harwood right?" Troy asked. Maybe there's something we can do to help out there?"

"We still have the stuff in Blackbeard's cave." Noah reminded them. "It's not everything, but I'm sure that would go a long way to rebuilding after The Armada."

"No, it needs to be something more personal." Cat insisted. "It needs to be something that Jordan would have done, or loved seeing done."

"Well, good luck doing much of anything." Emma grumbled. "I just got off the phone to mom, the reason none of our folks are here is because they can't leave the house. The press have been camped out on our lawns all day!"

"I suppose you can't blame them." Jake muttered. "It's the first place I want to go; we're bound to end up there eventually."

"In my experience, the press is an annoyance that never really goes away." Anton added.

"Tell me about it." Zack said with a little smile. "Sometimes, the only thing you can do is bite the bullet and just get it over with."

"Believe me; it can be preferable to letting them make up the stories themselves." Kira added as she poured herself some more wine. "I used to try and not say anything to the press, but after I've been accused of everything from ripping off charities to having a love-child with half the male pop stars on the planet, I finally just started telling them the story myself."

"It's daunting I'm sure, but you are one of the only Ranger teams who are known to the public." Anton reminded them.

"Maybe there's some way we can achieve both goals." Jake suggested. "You hear about people selling their stories all the time right? Maybe we can call a press conference, but charge the media a fee..."

"...that goes to the rebuilding effort!" Emma concluded. "Jake, that's a great idea!"

"Well, we'll have to think carefully about what we want to do." Troy reminded them. "We need to make sure it's a good setting, and we have good time to prepare for it, not to mention start to get back to our lives."

"I...I think I have an idea." Noah stated as he showed them his tablet. They all looked to it, furrowing their brows.

"Noah, are you seriously suggesting...?"

"The forum boards are lit up with requests for us! They'd be insane to refuse if we agreed!" Noah told them. "Not to mention, it's something Jordan would really have gotten a kick out of!"

"But seriously..."

"Seriously, this...this gives us some time and breathing space to settle down, and figure things out before the event!" Noah told them. "Not to mention, we can put the fees for appearing to the fund as well!"

"It is something Jordan would have loved." Gia conceded. "He was a colossal nerd."

"I'm in." Jake stated. "I'd love to see what it's like on the opposite side for once."

"You know I'd be there!" Noah told them. Emma just smiled.

"Jordan would have loved it." She responded. Troy thought about it for a while, before smiling.

"Then I guess that's settled." He replied. "Noah, send an e-mail. If they'll have us, the Power Rangers are going to the Harwood ComiCon!"

In another part of the room, Orion was sitting with a drink, watching the night progress. While he knew Jordan, and it was sad that he was gone, in some ways it was as much about his fellow Andresians as it was about Jordan for him. He knew that there were still Andresians out there, that they were somewhere in the galaxy, having been sold as slaves. He looked up as Emma came over.

"Orion, you weren't there, we had a great idea about dealing with the press and..."

"Emma, I'm not staying." Orion told her. She just looked at him curiously.

"Orion, what are you...?"

"Emma, I stayed to put an end to The Armada. They're gone now." He reminded her. "But the other Andresians...they're still out there."

"Orion..."

"My ship was picked up by NASADA after I landed in France." He recalled. "I have to believe it's still there, maybe it still works."

"Orion, I...I didn't think..." Emma stammered, thinking about it. "We...we can help. We..."

"Emma, it's great of you to offer, but your war is over." He told her. "This is my war now."

"Orion, we all fought in the war. We're a team, we're family!" She insisted. "I'll go with you!"

"Emma, you all have your lives here now." He told her. "I'll find my people, and then..."

"Then what?" She asked him. He just breathed a sigh and shook his head.

"I don't know." He told her honestly. "I guess we'll just try and find somewhere to call our own."

"Well, I can't help with that, but I can help with one part." Jason told them as he arrived. He handed Orion some pictures, which he just studied uncertainly.

"What...what's this?" He asked. He paused as he noticed something. "Are these...?"

"Gosei took Jordan on a mission before...you know." He told him. "He found your people on one of Mavro's forge worlds."

"This looks like..."

"They were brought to Earth." Jason assured him. "They're in a refugee centre. They're here on Earth."

"That...that's amazing!" Orion called out! Emma leapt at him, wrapping her arms around him as she heard this.

"Orion, that's amazing!" She screamed. Orion couldn't help but agree. It seemed that Jordan and Gosei had one last present to give.

**A/N: **OK, twofold apology here. Firstly, I have to apologise for the delay. A sudden bereavement in the family made this chapter, for understandable reasons, the last thing I really wanted to write. The second thing is, I am aware of the timing, and I needed to get this done. I am promising that future chapters will get happier, but I just needed to get this out of the way. Thank you for your patience, and season's greetings.


	36. Convention Experience

The next couple of weeks went by pretty quickly, given all the chaos and hubbub surrounding the final days of the war. Vrak's insistence on keeping his final victory for himself by keeping people away meant that there were no witnesses to the final battle, which was a good and bad thing in and of itself. The good thing was that the vast majority of the Rangers still had a secret identity, and could choose whether or not they wanted to expose themselves to the public, which...no one was in a hurry to do. At present, the only Rangers whose identities were public knowledge were the Space Rangers, who had revealed themselves to Angel Grove years before, the Lightspeed Rangers, the Overdrive Rangers, and as a result of his historic State of the Union Address, Zack.

There was, needless to say, a lot of interest in what happened, and those who were known to the media were very much at the forefront of the media attention whether they wanted to be or not. In particular, Zack had been unable to do much of anything, and had to head back to DC to quell the divide in public opinion. While a number of people credited him as the Commander in Chief with orchestrating the end of The Armada and calling for him to be sworn back in as President, while others thought he had failed them in allowing the invasion to happen in the first place, and why he had kept his identity from them for so long, even throwing around the opinion he should be indicted for dereliction of duty for valuing his secret identity over national security. He, Jason and Trini had returned to DC to quell the worst of it. The Space Rangers, to everyone's surprise, actually found enough positive press this time around that they stuck around. While they experienced the haters like they had before, this time around they also had a lot more supporters, being part of the Ranger Army, and since most of them hadn't been home in over a decade, they actually took a chance to re-visit some of their family on the planet that had hounded them into hiding on KO 35, embracing the chance to once more be accepted on Earth.

Despite her injuries, after some rest, Dana felt confident enough in her recovery that with a full surgical team, she could take the chance to perform the heart surgery that Eric so desperately needed for the sake of his long-term health. Although it was tragic, there was one upside to the destruction, in that among the casualties there were some that were willing organ donors. Eric, rather than a bypass, had ended up being one of the lucky ones that was able to get a new heart. He was still at home, working hard to recover enough to be healthy for his and Louise's wedding, which he insisted he wanted to do as soon as he was strong enough to not embarrass himself on the dance floor, but he was at home, and exercising to strengthen his new heart.

The Rangers arrived in the delivery entrance of a hotel, inside a van that was marked as a baker's delivery. It was realistically the only way they could get to the event without having to pretty much beat their way into the door. The Harwood ComiCon had been running for around five years or so, and while it was successful enough to warrant running it each year, it really was mostly only locals that went, and they usually only sold a couple of thousand tickets, pretty much all of them to locals. That all changed the second that the Convention announced, and the Rangers confirmed on Twitter, Facebook and pretty much any media outlet they could find that they would be attending the event. The tickets were now like platinum! Up to three streets away people were queuing to get in! Still more were clamouring around, desperately hoping to catch any scalps. Rumours abounded that scalp tickets were going for upward of four and five-figure sums, and people WERE paying it! The fact was, this was the first time the Rangers had announced they were coming out to answer any questions people had. Needless to say, the press and public response was frantic.

"I can't believe this; I never thought I'd be here." Noah said with a smile as they entered the parking garage. Jake just sighed and looked to him.

"Dude, you've been here every year since you were five with the exception of last year!" Jake reminded him. "Last time I helped you into your Cosplay outfit! You wore a Cylon outfit that weighed like a hundred pounds!"

"It did not..."

"Dude, I had to help you going to the bathroom!" Jake reminded him. "You made me carry the pliers you needed to open your..."

"It's the first time I'm here as a panellist!" Noah cut him off. He saw the others looking at him and just sighed. "I know, I'm a dork."

"So...Emma, how are the wedding preparations going?" Troy asked, hoping to get the conversation off the subject of how exactly Noah got to go to the can in a home-made Cylon outfit. She just smiled.

"Things are going really well." She told them. "Dad's dancing lessons are really coming along, and Louise's dress is just gorgeous!"

"That's good to hear." Troy said tentatively. Although it had been a few weeks, and the team had pulled together over the memorial for Jordan and talked a lot about how to deal with their new fame, he still didn't really feel the same closeness to the team he once had. His decision to begin a relationship with Allison, who had, at the time, been with Jake, had been one he knew would cause a rift. Emma just reached into her jacket and pulled out an envelope. "You can come if you want."

"Um...really?" Troy asked. "Because if I remember rightly, the last time I heard from your dad, he had a very creative suggestion what he'd do with a certain part of my anatomy..."

"Yeah, he's calmed down a lot since then." Emma told him. "It's not like Allison stole you or anything, we just didn't work out."

"And...That's how your dad feels?" Troy asked her. "Ranger or not...your dad is a very scary man!"

"He's forgiven you like I have." Emma answered. "Sometimes, things don't work out like you expected."

As Emma slipped her hand into Orion's, Troy just smiled. Gia just pointed at her.

"I KNEW IT!" She screamed. "I just...I KNEW there was a reason you wanted to help Orion check out that new reservation President Taylor set up for the Andresians!"

"Well...not at first, at first, I really DID just want to check it out." Emma said as she looked to Orion. "But after a while..."

"After a while, we realised there are a lot of things we have in common." Orion replied, putting his arm around Emma. "I was...uh...just a little worried about telling you to be honest. I guess I still kind of am."

"Hey, as long as you treat her right, you're alright by me." Gia told him. "I've known you long enough to know what kind of guy you are."

"How is all that going anyway?" Jake asked. "You know...the settlement?"

"The people are really settling in." Orion informed him with a smile. As kind of a "thank you" for his part in ridding the world of The Armada, Zack had put a plan in motion for the Andresians Gosei had saved to settle down on Earth. The climate wasn't HUGELY different from Andresia, and they were a strong and industrious people. The opportunity alone was enough that they quickly got to work building a small corner of the Earth for themselves. "There were even enough clerics left that could continue my training as a preacher! I really love it out there!"

"Maybe we can visit some time when this is all over." Gia suggested. Just then, the doors opened and they saw someone in a convention tee standing before them. He was about 5'7, with shaggy hair and looked to weigh around 250 pounds or more. He looked around as others came.

"Wait...this is it?" He asked.

"Um...yeah." Troy replied. "There were only six of us."

"Where are all your set dressings? Where's all your merch?" He asked in response. Gia just looked to him.

"Set dressings?" She asked, not understanding. "And...we don't really have merch. My girlfriend has a stall for T-shirts and artwork in there."

There were two things the Rangers had learned since their time as heroes. The first was that their image and their reputation were worth a lot of money. Action figures, comics and posters flew off the shelves. The other thing was that legally, they had no rights to their own image! Since they had been more concerned with the war than any thought of profiteering afterwards, like previous teams who were more concerned about keeping their identities secret, they hadn't copyrighted their own images, or even their names. The upshot was that people could create merchandise in their image with impunity and pocket the profits, but there really wasn't a heck of a lot they could do about it. That didn't mean there weren't some vendors that weren't willing to make sure they approved of their use of image, one in particular was a certain artificially red-headed artist whose line of t-shirts and comic books had pretty much exploded in popularity.

"Well, that's a first I guess." He said as he gestured them inside. "I'm going to take you to a side-room, one of the moderators will tell you where to go when your panel starts. It begins in an hour, so I'd suggest you get yourselves ready, some of these con types can be pretty rabid."

"I'll say." Noah groaned. "It's amazing how people can lose it around the people they admire and forget they're just people."

"So says the man who wanted George Takei to help him write a fanfiction." Jake chuckled. Noah just glared at him.

"I WAS FIVE!" He protested.

"The point is, while there IS security, people get pretty close at these things." The guy warned them as he took them to a side-room. "Plus you can't discount the possibility of jackasses that just cause trouble. Point is, try to enjoy it, but it wouldn't be the first time one of our guests lost a clump of hair or some of their possessions."

"We'll be careful." Troy assured him. They all knew that any press conference they took on was always going to be risky. There were still a lot of divided opinions on the Rangers and their actions, but they had all agreed to make this their first and main public address. As they got into the room, they looked around. A lounge had been set up for them, with large, plush sofas, tables filled with refreshments and staff standing, ready to attend to any of their needs. There were a few large-screen televisions too, some with direct feeds to CCTV cameras, others that were there for them to watch whatever made them comfortable while they waited.

"If there's anything else you'd like..."

"Thanks, this should be fine." Noah assured him. "Just let us know when you want us."

"Um...could I ask one last thing?" He asked. He pointed to a table where a bunch of posters were sitting, that had been signed by a number of people. They recognised more than a few of the names. "Could you sign these?"

"Uh, we really weren't intending..."

"Oh no, it's not a profit thing!" The guy insisted. "We do this every year, we get a dozen or so Con posters and get all the guests to sign them before putting them up for auction. We were going to auction them all off for charity!"

"Well, that's a different matter." Jake said with a smile, taking a pen. "Hand me one..."

"Uh...sorry, not that we're saying anything but we have to insist they stay here." He replied. "One of our previous guests took a poster everyone signed as a souvenir."

"Someone stole from a charity?" Gia asked. "What kind of asshole would do that?"

"Someone that's not been invited back." He replied. "So...would you mind?"

"It would be our pleasure!" Emma replied as Jake signed his name and handed her the pen.

Out on the conference floor, people were bussing with excitement, but despite the fact that knowing the Rangers would be in attendance there was a surprising number of big names for a small-city convention, a lot of the guests weren't getting the response they had hoped for.

"Yeah, the sequel is coming out soon." Trent Fernandez told a fan as he handed him back a freshly-signed copy of his latest best-selling comic book. "Thanks for coming all this way."

He looked to Dax, who was playing on his phone. He sniggered as he saw he was playing Candy Crush.

"Slow day?" Trent asked.

"Dude, I had more people come to my booth at a con in Burnside." He responded.

"Burnside?" Trent asked him. "Where's that?"

"Arizona, but that's basically my point!" Dax grumbled. "I was hoping for some publicity."

"Hey, you remember what it was like in your day; people are always focused on the latest thing." Trent laughed. "Hey, it looks like someone's interested."

Dax just sat forward as a guy came over to him.

"Hi, thanks for coming out." He replied as the guest came over, handing over a DVD of Dax's Power Rangers movie.

"Hi, I was a HUGE fan of this movie..."

"Can you hurry it up?" A bigger guy asked. "The panel's about to start!"

"You're going to the Ranger panel?" Dax asked. The younger guy just nodded. "You know, the Rangers were actually extras in the movie! I didn't know that at the time of course, but..."

"Believe me, he's got every extended-version of that movie there is just so he can see the cut-scenes with them." The bigger guy replied. "For God's sake, just get the damned autograph; we're going to be late!"

"So, who do I make this out to?" Dax asked.

"Riley." He replied. "The impatient one is my friend Chase."

"Dude, seriously I heard they're already in the room!" He reiterated.

"Trust me; I've attended enough of these cons to know that nothing ever starts on time." Dax assured Riley, signing his DVD.

"Besides, you're the one that's always late Chase." He chuckled. "Come on, let's go get some seats."

"See, I told you people still wanted to see us." Trent told him. Dax just sighed.

"I guess we'll probably get more business after the panel." He replied, looking around for another guest.


	37. Ranger Panel

The Rangers made their way through an internal corridor towards the panel room. It was the main panel room. Even several feet before the door, they could hear a lot of movement as convention guests started to find their seats. They didn't need to be able to see to know that they would be facing a massive crowd. One of the organisers met them at the door.

"Alright, we're just trying to get the guests settled, it's just taking a little longer than we expected." She informed them. "Some of them are kind of excitable, and it's just taking a bit to get them in their seats."

"How many are there?" Noah asked. The organiser just looked to them.

"There are about five hundred seats." She told them, causing all of them to look a little stunned. "But we've got plenty of standing room as well, don't worry."

"F-f-five hundred?" Troy stammered nervously as he heard this. "There are over five hundred in there?"

"Unfortunately we're kind of limited by fire safety regulations..."

"Five HUNDRED?" Noah reiterated. The woman saw the expressions on their faces.

"Are all of you alright?" She asked.

"Um...yeah...it'll be fine I'm sure." Gia replied, acting as calmly as she could under the circumstances. "It's all for charity right?"

"Alright then, I'm just going to head out and check on things." She told them. "I'll be back to tell you when you can take your seats at the table."

With that she headed out, taking care not to open the door far enough to let the crowd get to see the Rangers too early, and closing it behind her. Troy just leaned back against a wall as they started to let their nerves get the better of them.

"Is anyone else thinking this was a mistake?" Noah said, starting to breathe rapidly.

"I knew there'd be a few people, but five hundred?" Orion asked.

"Come on guys, we used to fight monsters that could vaporise planets!" Gia reminded them. "Why are we all panicking like this over a few people asking questions?"

"Maybe we should have gone with one of the magazines or TV shows." Troy stated. "At least then there'd only be a couple of people..."

"Guys, I know it's scary but...it's for charity right?" Emma reminded them. "The money's going to the restoration fund."

"I...guess we used to play a lot of our soccer matches in front of crowds about that size." Jake finally offered.

"And...I guess some of my tournaments had audiences around that size." Troy agreed, trying to get his nerves under control. In a lot of ways, they all realised how silly it seemed. They had fought and survived a war, and here they were worried about facing a live audience that were there to ask them questions. The organiser came back and they could hear a cheer from the room.

"Alright, we're ready for you now." She told them. "Just remember, speak into the mics, try to stay cool if someone throws a question at you that you're uncomfortable with, and don't worry if anyone gets a little enthusiastic. There are a lot of fans out there, and some of them can be scarier than the haters."

"That makes me feel SO much better." Jake muttered under his breath as they prepared themselves to head into the room.

As they arrived in the room, the light was almost blinding, and it took a moment for them to get their bearings and adjust to it. There were a couple of flood lights either side of the stage to allow the Rangers to be seen on the stage. More lights attached to television cameras there to capture the event for the media made it worse. The effect was completed by the flashing of hundreds of cameras as they entered. They could hardly see through the light to the room, but they were emboldened by a huge roar from the crowd. It took a second to register, but with few exceptions, the crowd were cheering for them as they arrived. They all grinned broadly as they made their way to the table, waving to the crowd as they arrived.

"It seems like most of them are happy to see us." Gia whispered to Troy.

"Well, it's going to make things easier I guess." Troy admitted as he reached for a glass, pouring himself some water. "So, what do we do?"

"Ladies and gentlemen, although I'm sure they need no introduction, here's who you've all been waiting for, the Corsair Rangers!" The organiser announced. "Now, you'll all get your chance to field your questions, but first, let's have the Rangers introduce themselves shall we?"

Orion looked down the table and the others just shrugged. Noah, a guy who had regularly attended Cons, albeit on the opposite side of the table, led off, leaning forward and taking his microphone.

"Hi, I'm Noah Carver, and I was the Blue Ranger." He stated. Emma was next, and leaned towards the microphone in front of her, holding her hair back as she did so.

"Hi, thanks for coming out, we're all really honoured you all turned out today. I'm Emma Goodall, and I was the Pink Corsair Ranger." She introduced herself, turning to Jake, who was the next in line.

"Hey folks, Jake Hollings, Green Corsair Ranger here!" He announced, pulling off his shirt, and throwing it aside, revealing his old Harwood soccer jersey. "And I'd just like to say, Harwood High School soccer team, current league champions ROCK!"

This got a massive reaction from a lot of the audience. While a number of the attendants came from out of town, since it was being held in Harwood, it was only natural that most of the audience would be from Harwood.

"Well, that was a cheap pop." Gia teased Jake as he posed for a second, taking amusement in how quickly his feelings on the panel had changed. Jake always did love being the centre of attention, and now that he could see most of the audience was happy to see them, he was milking it for all he was worth. "I'm Gia, the Yellow Corsair Ranger, and I just wanted to say that it's really great seeing you all out here to see us today."

"Hi, I'm Orion, the Silver Corsair Ranger." Orion introduced himself. Troy stood up last, picking up his microphone as he did so.

"And I'm Troy Burrows, the former Red Corsair Ranger." He introduced himself. "Now, I understand you'll all have a lot of questions, and we'll try to answer as many of them as we can. Now, since most of you have kindly made donations to the restoration fund to be here, I'd like to concentrate on questions from the audience, so we've already agreed to take five questions from the press, and then we'll take questions from the audience. Alright...let's begin over here."

"Alan Fisher, Channel 18 news." A man introduced himself, standing up from his seat. "I think I speak for a number of people here when I say that I doubt many of us would have imagined that the Power Rangers, those that were charged with our protection would be so...young. How exactly did you all get chosen, and didn't you think it was odd that of all the people in the world, teenagers were chosen?"

"Um...well...we were basically kind of press-ganged into it initially." Troy admitted. "We were taken from Ernie's Brianfreeze and told we would be responsible for turning back the invasion of the Warstar."

He looked to the others, and back at him.

"I do have to admit, it was quite a lot to take in when we were told what we were facing." Gia added. "None of us believed it at first...well...it did sound a little out there considering the fact we were only just getting over what happened in Panorama."

"When we were thrown into all of this, we were told that we had been chosen for the special qualities we possessed, but it was quite a lot to take in." Jake told them. "Up until then, the most important things I had to worry about were getting a good position on the soccer team, getting decent grades in school and...well...I'm sure you can imagine the kind of distractions for a teenage guy."

There was a small laugh from the audience, before Noah took the mike.

"When this started, it was like...the whole universe opened up. We started to see how small, how insignificant all our old concerns really were." Noah told them. "We all grew up a lot on our journey. We had to grow pretty quickly. Thinking about it now, while a lot of bad stuff happened, it really was an unforgettable experience; I can't think I would trade it for anything."

"Alright, next question." Troy said, pointing to the next reporter.

"Hi, Megan Jacobs, Reefside Daily news." She introduced herself stepping forwards. "Um...my question is for Orion...you didn't show up right away, and your name is pretty unusual. Of all the Rangers, you're the one we know the least about. I was wondering if you could tell us a little about yourself."

"Certainly, my name is Orion, and I'm from Andresia originally." Orion began as he looked out onto the crowd. "I'm sure by now most of you will have read in the paper about my people. Our planet was destroyed by The Armada a few years ago. For a long time, I thought I was the only survivor, but Gosei and the Robo Knight...Jordan to all of you...found the last of them and brought them to Earth."

He looked to the rest of the team and smiled.

"It's slow going building up new lives for ourselves out here, but we're finding Earth to be a good home for us." Orion replied. "I've found a lot about this planet I really like. I've managed to find myself some amazing friends, and we're starting to build ourselves new lives. I think we're going to be really happy here."

"Josie Winters, Mariner Bay Times." Another reporter announced, standing up. "Now, I know that you've all no doubt seen the huge interest in you from fans, and it has led to a lot of speculation about you all. People have made some fantastic art work and written a number of fanfictions about you."

"Yeah...some of that stuff is really good." Jake admitted. "But...I do have to admit some of it is pretty...um...well...let's just say that I would really worry about some of the people writing this stuff."

"Well, I think what we'd all like to know is...you spent all that time on the ship together, and you all were young...was there ever any...you know..."

"Um...to be honest, there really wasn't." Troy told them. "Most of us were already involved in relationships with other people when our identities were revealed in the battle with Vrak. Noah, Jake and Gia already had girlfriends out with the team, Emma and I...we were together for a bit over a year, but we ended up drifting apart."

"Alex Carter Silver Hills Journal." A man snapped as he stood up, cutting everyone off. It was a paper with a very distinct reputation. It was very heavily slanted towards the political Right. "My question is for the Yellow Ranger. This isn't the first time you've been in the headlines, indeed before any of this Ranger business came to light, you were in the local news in relation to an incident involving your father..."

"Yeah, anyone with a Google connection knows what happened." Gia interrupted him. "What's your question?"

"Given the number of impressionable young people that look up to you, do you really consider yourself a good role model?" He asked. Gia just looked to the others. They knew not all of the questions would be friendly, but this one got to her. She just furrowed her brows.

"Can I ask why in particular you directed that question to me?" She asked him. "Why would I in particular be a bad role model?"

"I'm just saying that a lot of the people that look up to you are going through some very confusing and difficult times." He stated. "Do you really think given the influence you have that...?"

"Why don't you just ask her what we all know you're asking her?" Jake interrupted him sharply. "No one is unfailingly good all of the time. I spent a few weeks in Juvenile Hall because of an anger management problem, but I don't see you asking me about that! If I'm ever fortunate enough to have kids, if it's a choice, I know I wouldn't prefer them to be a young offender!"

"To be honest, as much as I respect your right to your beliefs and your opinion, I find your question offensive." Gia added. "Now, my girlfriend is here today...in fact I can see a lot of you wearing the shirts she designed!"

"I'm here, GIA!" Cat called out, waving frantically. Gia just smiled, seeing her.

"She's simply the most amazing person I've ever met, and...I couldn't imagine my life without her." Gia told him. "So to answer your question, when I was just figuring out my feelings, what I am...if I'd seen someone that I admired, someone I respected and they helped me to have the strength to come to terms with what I was going through, I'd have been overjoyed. If knowing about me helps someone else, if someone feels like they can have the strength to be who they are because of me, if they took me as a role model, I would be honoured."

The reporter got a lot of heckling from the crowd as he sat down, having been put in his place by Gia and the other Rangers. Another reporter, the last with a question for the media stood up. He smiled as he got ready.

"Before I ask my question, I'd like to apologise for my colleague." He began.

"There's no need." Gia answered. "I have the right to my opinion and to believe what I want. If I'm going to enjoy that right, then I can't deny anyone else the same right."

"Well, my question is basically this...now that your time as Rangers is over, now that you have the freedom to do as you wish, we've all heard a number of rumours about opportunities you've been offered." He began. "I guess my question is what's next for the Rangers?"

"Well, we've all had a lot of thoughts about that, and we've received a number of interesting offers and opportunities." Troy told him. "I'm sure you've all heard some rumours, but after a lot of talking, we all decided...we'd really like to graduate."

"What?" The reporter asked, a little surprised to hear this. The Rangers were world-famous now. "Why? You...you've got the world at your feet! Jake...you've been receiving calls from soccer clubs all over the world!"

"Yeah, Man U and Real Madrid called a few times." Jake admitted.

"Troy, you're the poster child for overcoming adversity, Martial Arts tournaments, MMA companies have all been begging to give you a contract!" He continued. "Emma, every nature publication in the world would be falling all over themselves to give you a job! None of you have to do worry about working again!"

"But we want to." Noah told him. "I've received a lot of offers for lab work, but I'd much rather take a scholarship. I want to make my own way in the world, we all do."

"Yeah, Manchester's still going to be there in a couple of years." Jake said with a grin. "We're all going to take the High School Equivalency exam in a couple of weeks, and see where that takes us."

"After so long having our destinies mapped out for us, we want to make a few choices of our own." Troy told him. "Not to mention, I kind of like the idea of having a normal experience like going to college. Alright, now that's the media questions out of the way, let's get some from the audience...yes, there's a rather enthusiastic fan down there, in the third row!"

The guy Troy pointed to stood up. He was a kid, a couple of years younger than Troy, with kind of wild, fluffy dark hair, and dark skin. He stood up with a huge, bright grin on his face.

"Um...Hi...Uh...really excited to be here, and I'd really like to thank you all for coming." The kid told them. "Um...you probably don't remember, but...we actually met before."

"Really?" Troy asked, looking confused. None of them seemed to remember him. "Sorry but..."

"Well, I said we met...we didn't really talk or anything. I was under anaesthetic the whole time." He told them. "I was a heart transplant patient you helped transport to Silver Hills."

"That was you?" Gia asked. "Well, you're looking great now!"

"Yeah, the heart operation was a complete success, and I've got a whole new lease on life." He told them. "They said my recovery would take months, but the doctors were really impressed by my progress. Troy, everyone knows that you had your leg amputated, and you fought to come back. You showed strength and drive that was unbelievable, and...it inspired me to work really hard to get back into shape. I'm now back at school, working hard on my fitness, and I even earned my first black belt a month ago!"

"Congratulations!" Troy commended him as the room applauded.

"I just wanted you to know how much you inspired me and to thank you." He told him. Troy just smiled.

"Well...would you like to show me a few things?" Troy asked him. The kid's face lit up as Troy got up off his chair and made his way out onto a space on the floor.

"Are you serious?" The kid asked. "You...you want to spar with me? I get to spar with Troy Burrows?"

"If you want." Troy answered. The kid hastily made his way to the front, and took up position in front of him. Troy took on his guard, and led off; throwing a non-commital couple of punches his way. The kid blocked them all admirably, before throwing back a kick that almost caught Troy unawares. He smiled.

"That was pretty good kid." He said, sounding impressed. He began again, causing the kid to duck and dive away from his strikes, before finally catching him and throwing him to the floor. He held him in an arm-lock, holding it just long enough for the kid to tap out. As he let go, the kid kipped-up back to his feet. Troy led the room in a round of applause.

"You seriously only had a heart transplant a few months ago?" Troy asked him. The kid nodded.

"It was you that inspired me to get strong again." He replied. "Thanks for this, it was an honour."

"The honour was all mine." Troy told him. "What's your name kid?"

"Tyler." He replied. "Tyler Navarro."

"Well, I'm going to have to remember that name." Troy answered with a smile as he headed back to the table. "Alright, next question!"

Fin.

**A/N:** OK, first of all, sorry for the hiatus. A lot of family stuff needed my attention. This story has come to an end, but don't worry, I'm sure this won't be the last time I write about them. I loved the team, and I'm sure they'll show up in a story again soon. Thank you to all my loyal readers and reviewers, and thank you all for your patience.


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